Hitomi Suzuki- The Greatest Female Ninja
by Riyu-san
Summary: Hitomi Suzuki has always been content being a student at the ninja academy, but when she graduates, how is she going to find her path in becoming the greatest female ninja? Especially when she always need Naruto at her side, after he saved her that rainy day... But will she finds new companions when she joins team seven?
1. Don't Touch the Hokage Faces!

The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, casting its rays on the village hidden in the leaves. I smiled, tying back my long, black curls. I squinted my amber coloured eyes at the sun, breathing in the fresh morning air. I had been enrolled in the ninja academy for years now, and liked to consider myself one of the better students. Granted, I didn't do too well on tests, but that could be forgiven on account of my skill in battle.

I loved to fight too. I loved the adrenaline that rushed through my veins, so I was something a thrill-seeker.

So naturally, I was close friends with Naruto Uzumaki. I turned my head as I heard yelling down the street, followed by the loud, obnoxious laughter of my friend.

"Hitomi!" Naruto yelled, waving his hand, a paint bucket in the other. I laughed and saw the two ninjas after him, growling in frustration.

"Get back here!" They yelled. Naruto grinned and pulled me along.

"Hey, I don't wanna get in trouble too!" I objected.

"You dared me to do it!"

"What's your point?" I rolled her eyes, and moved my own legs so they would move faster. My long legs carried me easily over the buildings of the village, which I had spent most of my childhood hopping over in an attempt to escape from bullies.

I easily over took Naruto, winking at him as I passed. He glared at me, and sped up. The two behind us didn't stand a chance until…

I yelped and tripped over a leg that had appeared in front of me. Naruto skidded to a halt, looking behind him to see the two pursers catching up. I rubbed her hurting head and glared at the owner of the foot, who was Kazuko Tanaka.

The blonde smiled down at me with a glint in her brown eyes. She shrugged and mouthed the word 'oops' and leapt away from the roof. Naruto's blue gaze followed her angrily and he quickly helped me up.

Almost as soon as I stood back up, we were running again. They would've caught us if it was a second later. I stuck out my tongue, and waved before I spun around and started to run full speed.

We went to the streets, closely followed by the two. Naruto and me exchanged a glance before we both "disappeared" behind blankets against a fence. They ran past, not knowing were their prey had gone.

We dropped our blankets in synchronized movement, snickering to ourselves.

"Hey you guys." Iruka-sensei said, causing both of us to jump ten feet in the air.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked, my heart beating out of my chest.

"What are you doin' here?" Naruto finished. He rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips.

"No, what're you guys doing here? _You're _supposed to be in class." Iruka-sensei told us, dragging us back to the academy.

/

We, the two doomed students were thrown into class, where we were scolded in front of the whole class.

"I'm at the end of my rope with you two! You both failed the final exam and as punishment the whole class will be reviewing the transformation jutsu!" Iruka-sensei declared. They all groaned, glaring at the two that stood in front. I laughed awkwardly while my friend just sulked.

"Okay, Sakura first." He asked, waving forward the pink-haired girl. She performed the jutsu, becoming a perfect replica of Iruka himself. He smiled and praised her, which she happily thanked him for. She looked back at Sasuke, another student for his approval. I looked at Naruto with mischief sparkling in his bright blue eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you're up." The bad tempered boy walked forward calmly, his dark eyes looking around the room with total boredom. I narrowed her eyes slightly. I was never really a fan of his, he was cruel, and didn't talk much which bothered me.

He too, transformed into Iruka-sensei. Sensei nodded and waved him on.

"Hitomi Suzuki." He called out, raising a brow at me when I skipped up, happy to show off my skills. I put my hands in the correct position, and focused my chakra, transforming into Naruto.

"I'm Naruto, BELIEVE IT!" I shouted, holding out my fist like my friend. Sensei smiled and said, "Good work, as I expect from you." I smiled back and turned back into myself. I stretched my arms and walked on, sparing Ino and Kazuko a glance.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Ino and Kazuko sneered at him, both with arms crossed over their chests.

"Thanks from the extra work, Uzumaki."

"Yeah, you're such a screw up." He glared at them in response, taking his hands out of his pockets and holding them at his sides in tight fists.

"Whatever." He grumbled and stepped forward. The blue eyed blonde smirked and transformed into his signature "sexy jutsu". Naruto winked and blew a kiss at Sensei who had a major nose bleed, causing the two trouble-makers, (a.k.a me and Naruto) to laugh our butts off.

"NARUTO THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" Iruka-sensei yelled and ordered us back to our seats. We snickered and took our seats no problem.

After class we were both dragged in front of the Hokage, who ordered us to clean the graffiti.

/

"Remind me, why am I here?" I asked sensei, who replied, "You dared him too do it."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, glancing at Naruto, who was in an even worse mood. Our hands were soapy and the paint was starting to color the clear water of out buckets. My fingers ached from scrubbing and my shorts had gotten wet, causing them to chafe where one should not have chafing.

I started to think to myself, not listening to Naruto and Sensei who were yelling back and forth. _You shouldn't be hear._

_What, and leave him to do it?_

_Yes._

_No, that's not what a friend would do. _

_Would he do the same for you?_

_No…I mean of course he would! He's my friend, isn't he?_

_Why are you asking me? _I looked at Naruto out of the corner of my eye. His brow was furrowed and he was moving his mouth like he was talking but I didn't hear his words.

"Hey, how 'bout after you finish, we go out for ramen. The good stuff." Iruka-sensei offered. I beamed up at him and started to work harder.

"Now that's motivation!" Naruto shouted, and scrubbed twice as hard, earning a chuckle from me and sensei.

/

We slurped our ramen, enjoying the hot noodles and savoring their taste, who knows when we would get good ramen again?

"Hitomi, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked, holding his chopsticks in his hand but not touching his food. I raised my eyebrows expectantly, as my mouth was full.

"Why would you do that to the hokage faces? I mean, you know who the hokage are don't you?" He asked. We both nodded.

"They were the best of the best. And the forth hokage saved the village from the nine-tailed fox. He was the greatest." Naruto said, and I simply nodded in agreement.

Sensei's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Then why did yo-"

"I'm gonna be greater than them one day. Me, Naruto, the next hokage. Then everyone will stop disrespecting me and look up to me! Believe it!" He said, putting down his empty bowl. _Not everyone disrespects him, I like him. Aren't I enough? _In a lot of ways, me and Naruto are very similar. We both were shunned when we were younger, and that's when we became friends.

I had parents, but Naruto was the only one that noticed me. I did look up to him. He was really brave to have been through so many hardships and still be who he is. I don't know why he doesn't see what's right next to him.

I nodded in agreement. I might not have the same drive he does, but I want him to succeed. I just want to be happy, and have friends, and be a great ninja. I don't think I would make a great hokage, but I'm just happy doing work. I love life being unpredictable.

"Yeah, and I gonna go down in history as one of the greatest female ninja ever!" I said, pounding my fist on the table. Sensei smiled.

"Another bowl?" He asked us. I shook my head up smiled innocently up at him.

"No thanks, but can ask you a favor?" I said softly, making sure my eyes were a little watery. Sensei blinked at me.

"Can I try on you headband?" I asked as sweetly as I could manage. He shook his head with a gentle smirk.

"So that's why you took off your headband." I usually have a blue ribbon holding my bangs out of my face but it was currently around my wrist like a bracelet.

"Sorry, you can only wear the leaf headband when you graduate from the academy and become a ninja. You've gotta pass the test tomorrow." He told you. I pouted and crossed my arms.

"No fair." I whined and looked up at him, hoping he had changed him mind. He just smiled and laughed. Naruto nudged me with his elbow.

"Told you."

"Shaddup!"

/

The next day came quickly, the weather the same as the day before. But, as today was test day, we were stuck inside, where we couldn't enjoy the cool breeze. I sighed and dreamily stared out the window. I was called into a room with a few other teachers and Iruka-sensei. He smiled encouragingly and said, "Okay, Hitomi Suzuki, can you perform a clone jutsu for us?" He asked, holding a pen in his hand.

I nodded, putting my hands into position. I focused, feeling the chakra moving inside me and I created three other clones of me with a puff of smoke.

The teachers' eyes sparkled with delight.

"Good work. And it looks like your skilled in your other jutsus as well…You pass." A white haired man said with a smile. I squealed, getting a weird look from all of them but Sensei. They gave me my headband, which I happily took, a smile stretching across my face. I bowed respectfully and hopped out of the room. And almost as soon as I left the room, a thought struck me full force. _Clone jutsu? That's Naruto's worst jutsu! _


	2. Genin Exams!

I paced nervously, rubbing my arms as I walked. Naruto was in the middle of his exam, and it didn't look good for him. He had to perform a clone jutsu, which happened to be his worse. I groaned, leaning against the wall but moving again a second later.

Soft voices could be heard thought the door, with Naruto's being a bit louder. Then steps came close to the door, opening to reveal my blond friend. His blue eyes were downcast, and his whole body was slumped over.

I ran up to his, and seeing his empty hands put my arm over his shoulders and gently guided him outside. And in guiding him, I forgot where to put my own feet and ended up walking right into Kuzuko.

"Watch where you're going, loser!" She snapped, pushing me back. I glared at her, clenching my fist which caused my headband to dig into my hand harshly.

"Tch, don't tell me _you_ graduated." She scoffed, placing a hand over her chest. Her muddy brown eyes looked at Naruto for a second. She smirked evilly, her head held high like she was superior.

"Oh, and little Naruto didn't? So sad…" Kuzuko purred. I stood up to her, but she about a foot taller than me.

"Shut. Up." I barked and dragged Naruto away for that witch.

Outside was busy with students and their parents congratulating them, proud smiles plastered on their faces. Me and Naruto were in the shade of a tree, watching the crowd move and ebb like an ocean. I was hypnotized by the steady movement, and the smooth blending of colors.

Two women floated to the edge and looked at us. Naruto looked at them with dull blue eyes from his perch on his swing.

"He's the only one that failed?" I glared at them and readjusted myself against the tree.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to distract him. He nodded, sadly swinging side to side. My heart hurt for him He worked so hard and failed. Not only that, but he won't be able to take it for a while.

"It's alright, next time you'll really show them right?" I said encouragingly. His eyes lit up and his gaze darted to me.

"Of course! I'm gonna pass, believe it!" He said, giving me a grin. Something was behind that grin. Was it… mischief? Whatever it was, he oozed it.

"I, uh, gotta go, Hitomi. I'll see you tomorrow, kay?" He said, hopping off the swing. I nodded and waved goodbye. I squinted, crossing my arms. What was I to do? My only friend just left, now what? I huffed and stood up.

Something wasn't right. I sensed chakra far too close to me. My eyes narrowed and I looked up into the tree. _Sasuke…_

"What do you want?" I demanded, turning around to get a better look at him. He had one hand on the trunk to keep his balance as he calmly looked down at me. Sasuke shrugged and jumped down, landing softly on his feet.

_I don't get it…Why does everyone like him so much? _I thought to myself.

"Why do you assume I need something, Hitomi?" He asked, leaning against the tree. I rolled my eyes and took the swing. I shrugged, looking up at him.

"How did you do?" He asked which totally caught me off guard. _Why does he care? _

"Pretty good, I made three clones, you?" I replied, pushing myself a little. Sasuke moved, shocking me again and pushed me on the swing. I narrowed my eyes, but he didn't see it. _What's happening here? _I thought suspiciously.

"I made four." I could hear the smirk in his voice. I puffed out my cheeks, and pouted.

"Really, c'mon…" I whined, kicking my legs childishly. He chuckled a little, continuing to push me. _How am I going to be the greatest ninja if I can't even beat Sasuke...?_ I saw Sakura and some of the other girls, including Kuzuko glaring at me from the building. I hummed to myself and glanced back at Sasuke who was watching me with a curious light in his dark eyes.

"What are you gonna do? After you become a ninja I mean." I asked, my neck cramping from my head being turned at a weird angle.

"I'm going to get revenge on a certain someone. He wiped out the Uchiha clan." He said to me coldly, his eyes flashing with anger. Slight apprehension pushed its way into my mind like a fish in a stream, but I found myself nodding.

"I want to become the greatest female ninja! Believe it!" The last part of it slipped, and I blushed with embarrassment. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You're just like Naruto." I stuck my tongue out at him and that sent the fan girls over the edge. I hardly paid any attention to them though, I would deal with it later, right now, all I want to know what Sasuke wants from me.

I observed him for a moment, taking in his features and his demeanor, trying to figure him out, but it seemed he was being genuine. I sighed and turned back around, allowing him to push me.

"He's all I have y'know." I admitted, then wanting to slap myself in the face. _Don't tell him that! He'll think you're weak! _Sasuke paused for a minute, catching the swing when I came back to him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, walking around so he stood in front of me. I looked away, crossing my arms.

"No one talked to me when I was little. No one _wanted _to talk to me. And when they did, they were bullying me. But he _didn't_. We were both alone and he saved me." I murmured. The black-haired boy blinked and tilted his head to the side.

"I should've help…but I didn't know your name, I didn't…" He trailed off. I looked up at him in confusion.

"You didn't what?"

"I didn't notice you…I just thought you were some random girl that couldn't…_wouldn't_ help me achieve my goal." He said softly. I shook my head.

"No, it's fine." I laughed, glancing away from his intense gaze.

"Look at us, turning into mush balls. Anyway, see you around, Sasuke!" I said, getting up and running toward my house.

_Weird…_

_What did he want?_

_Does he want my help?_

_If he did he would have asked…._

_Didn't he? _

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I guess it was an instinct not to trust people, only Naruto had won that, and I trust him with my life. There was no chance in hell that Naruto would ever betray me.

It was like I was a snake on a hot summer day. Only resting on the warmest stone, and shunning those that disappointed me. Once, I rested on a stone that once was warm, but then it turned ice cold. But Naruto never lost his warmth. His stone stayed warm through the night, allowing me peace.

I ran to my apartment, throwing my keys somewhere like I always did, and continuing to the kitchen. There wasn't many options, which meant I would have to go shopping in the next few days or leech off of Naruto.

I grabbed some ramen, proceeding to make it, and fell on my couch. I took huge bites and when I was done, I threw the cup in the general direction of the garbage can. I heard it hit the rim and onto the floor, so I shrugged, falling face first into the soft, blue cushions of my couch.

I was left alone with my thoughts, like always, which always lead to bad memories and gallons of ice cream.

I groaned and punched the couch with all I had and fell onto it again, staring at the ceiling. When I'm alone, I test my chakra sometimes, seeing what I can do. I focused the chakra to my feet, feeling the sensation it made when it arrived.

Then, I let it move upward, testing my control of it. At some point my focusing lead to sleep, like it always did.


	3. A New Sensei!

I woke up, feeling a dampness at the corner of my mouth. I stretched delightfully, yawing as I did so. My teeth came back together with an audible click and I wiped the saliva from my mouth. I smiled, looking at the leaf headband on my coffee table.

I glanced up at the clock. I was supposed to be at school ten minutes ago. I shrugged and went to go take a quick shower. I was already late, no point in rushing, although Iruka-sensei might have something to say about that.

The shower was hot, relaxing each of my cramped muscles. Remind me why I sleep on the couch when I had a bed. I got out and dried my hair, looking at my reflection thoughtfully.

My wide amber colored eyes reminded me of fire, and my dark hair only lightened them. Actually they were closer to gold than anything else. No matter what color they were I loved them, they were unique. I was about to tie my hair, but I remembered my new headband. I picked it up, watching it reflect the sunlight that leaked through my half-open windows.

I smiled again and put it on so that it held back half of my bangs. I yawned, my eyes watering a little but I blinked it away. I grabbed some snacks to take while I walked and left my apartment.

I lazily walked into class, and took my seat, ignoring the half-hearted glare Sensei gave me. He sighed and wrote me down as tardy. I shrugged and looked at Naruto, who proudly wore his headband.

Wait, headband?

I blinked, squinting my eyes in confusion which caused him to laugh.

"I'm a ninja now, Hitomi. Believe it!" Naruto said. I arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"Good work, Naruto." I congratulated, drumming my fingers on the desk. Normally I would be excited and want to hear the story, but right now I was still asleep. He pouted and leaned close to my face, gazing at my dull amber eyes.

"Are you asleep still?" He asked, his eyes narrowed in concentration. I nodded and let my head fall on my desk, falling back asleep.

I jerked my head up, hearing a huge commotion, which could've woken someone up on the other side of the village.

Naruto….

And Sasuke….

WERE KISSING?!

I looked at them in silence for a moment, as did everyone else in the room. I was the one that broke it.

At first it was just giggling, but then it was full-blown laughter. I couldn't breathe, and no one else in the room thought it was funny. I fell on the ground and was crying because I was laughing so hard. And every time I tried to stop, I would laugh harder.

"Everyone one calm down, I'll be assigning your teams." Iruka-sensei shouted, trying to soothe the angry girls and disgusted boys. I continued to snicker as Sensei read the names.

"Team 1….Team 2….." He voice droned on and on until it finally heard my friend's name called.

"Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki…team seven. And due to there being an odd number of students in this class… Hitomi Suzuki." Iruka said, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Me and Naruto hive-fived and Sakura looked conflicted, while Sasuke looked totally neutral.

"TEAM SEVEN!" I yelled, jumping on the desk and fist pumping.

"Hitomi! Sit down!" I hesitantly sat back down, resting my head in my hand and huffing. He stared at me for a moment longer before continuing to call names. My eyes drifted toward the window and I stared outside while I was lost in thought.

_How are you supposed to be on a team with pinkie?_

_I have no idea…_

_She can be such a pain, and useless…But let's not forget she can give you test answers! _I mentally sang, looking at Sakura. I glanced at Sasuke who appeared to be lost in thought as well.

_Can you trust Uchiha? I mean sure he's strong…but…_

_I don't know…I don't like they look in his eyes._

_What did he want yesterday anyway?_

_I'm sure we'll find out at some point._

Naruto I knew for sure I could trust. But, I would have to keep an eye on him. I didn't want him to get himself killed. I sighed and I realized the room had cleared and Sasuke stood in front of me smirking.

"C'mon, loser. Stop day-dreaming, our team leader should be showing up soon." He said smugly. A glare threatened to surface, but I didn't need Sakura hissing at me. I forced a smile.

"Sorry, just thinkin' about something." I told him, mentally exploding his fat head. I didn't like that look he was giving me, something was off…

I put my head back in my hands and continued what I was doing.

_Tch, what was that? What does he think I am?_

_A loser?_

_Shaddup! _

I snugged my head into my arms and closed my eyes. My eyes were still tired for some reason. Besides, I thought better with my eyes closed.

_Naruto's another story… We might be good friends but we are NOT a good team. _

_Don't you think I know that?_

_Hmm, I guess. What about our new sensei? Can we trust him?_

_We'll find that out soon enough. _

_I wish I had a different voice of reason… A NICE person maybe?_

_Hmpf. _

Apparently I had fallen asleep, because I felt someone poking my arm with pulled me out of the sea of unconsciousness.

"Wha-?" I started, picking my head up. It was a man around his late twenties, with messy grey hair. One of his eyes was covered curiously and half his face was hidden behind a mask. Yet despite his odd appearance and the lazy look in his eye, I immediately took a liking to him. He seemed a lot like me.

"C'mon, you _are _Hitomi right? I've been trying to wake you for five minutes." He said in a smooth voice that had an almost sarcastic ring to it. I scratched the back of my neck nervously, and smiled.

"Sorry, I get lost in my thoughts." I explained. He closed his eye in what I assume was a smile and I heard him chuckle softly. He lead us out of the room, I hadn't even noticed Naruto who was trying to stifle his laughter and Sasuke looked like he was disappointed or something.

"What happened when I was out?" I asked Sakura, because it seemed like she was the only one at the moment I could get a straight answer from.

"Naruto pulled a stupid prank. He put the eraser in the door and it fell on Kakashi-sensei's head." She told me, having a slightly annoyed tone. I snickered and looked at "Kakashi-sensei's" hair, now noticing the white dust that was still left.

He turned around and looked at me steadily, his dark eyes flickering with an unknown emotion.

"Something funny?" He asked calmly. I nodded and started laughing out loud.

"Y-you actually…f-feel for that?!" I asked between breathes. He brushed his hair, trying to get out the remaining dust.

"Anyway, we'll stay here." Sensei declared, sitting on a short wall. Me and Naruto sat next to each other on the steps, and Sakura sat pretty close to Sasuke.

I watched our new sensei, he was interesting. Even with his slow speech and the lack of information I had on him, I still thought he was trustworthy.

I had now placed him on a very short list of trustables.

Naruto

Iruka-Sensei

Me

And now Kakashi.

I tried to make myself comfortable, but ended up in laying on the ground and my legs resting on Naruto's lap, which he didn't seem to mind. I sighed and soaked in the warm afternoon sun, feeling it heat up my skin. I was content laying there, on the sidewalk.

"Okay, let's introduce ourselves. Say what we like, what we dislike, our dreams for the future." Sensei explained. Sakura looked at him curiously, and asked like the uncomprehending idiot that she is,

"Can you give us example? Introduce yourself, sensei." He blinked, and glanced up in thought.

"Okay, I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like? I don't feel like telling you that… My dreams for the future…Never really thought about it. And my hobbies…I have a lot of them." Kakashi said, earning more than a few laughs from me.

"Is all you do sleep and laugh?" He asked me, putting his head in his hand. I nodded and sat up.

"_I'm _Hitomi Suzuki. I like to sleep, laugh and being a sarcastic asshole…Umm I don't like bullies. And my hobbies are reading and talking, I talk a lot when I'm not sleeping. Dreams for the future…I'M GONNA BE THE GREATEST FEMALE NINJA!" I finished loudly, standing up proudly. Naruto laughed along and we linked arms.

"AND I'M GONNA BE THE FIFTH HOKAGE, BELIEVE IT." He shouted.

"Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki by the way, and I like ramen and comparing different kinds of ramen." He said simply.

"Hmp, simple mind simple pleasures." I thought out loud. That earned me a chuckle from Sensei and Sasuke which Sakura did _not _appreciate.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like many things. And I have to get revenge on a certain someone." Sasuke said darkly. I shivered nervously. I had never seen him more intense than when he was talking about his revenge. As much as I talk, that's how much I eavesdrop, no I don't have a problem. I didn't even bother to listen to Sakura's introduction because all I heard was her cliché idiocy.

I mean she's not an idiot on tests…she's just a person I couldn't stand to talk to. When I, uh, _heard_ her talking with some other girls it was always "Sasuke this." And "Sasuke that."

_It was so annoying._

"Tomorrow we are training. Don't eat breakfast tomorrow, okay? I'll know if you did." Sensei ordered in what seemed like a half-hearted command a parent would give their child who never cleaned their room. I smiled and promised I wouldn't, when I knew _for sure_ I would be eating tomorrow.

_Tch, you don't have to eat if you don't want but I am. _

"See ya tomorrow then." He said and disappeared. I blinked and turned to Naruto, but he wasn't there anymore. He was instead talking to Sakura.

Now, I'm not an idiot like Pinkie. I knew a crush when I saw it. And Naruto was head over heels for her. I smirked and glanced at Sasuke who was walking away.

I wanted to play "Let's Piss Pinkie Off" so I followed him.

"Sasuke! Don't you wanna hang out with me?" I called in a slightly whiny voice. He looked back in shook and nodded, waiting for me to catch up.

"Lunch then?"


	4. Shadow Clone?

I sat on the ground, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun, listening to the chatter of my new teammates. Speaking of which, pinkie was _very _pissed at me, which was distracting me from my book. That and my katana digging into my back, but that was beside the point.

You see, me and Sasuke went out for lunch because I felt that was a _great _way to start off our new team. I smirked, looking at the pink-haired girl who was currently glaring at me. I snickered, and leaned toward Sasuke who was to my left.

"I had a great time at lunch yesterday. Maybe we could do it again sometime?" I purred, just loud enough for Sakura to hear. Sasuke gave me a small smile with a quick nod. Sakura raised her fists at me, but no one but me noticed. I threw a smirk at her, and picked my book up again. Unfortunately, Naruto also heard me.

"Hitomi! Don't hang out with him, wouldn't you rather get ramen with me?" Naruto whined, anime crying. I laughed and slapped him ion the back.

"I'll take you up on that offer, after we finish this, 'kay?" I told him. He hugged me, rubbing his cheek on mine happily.

"You're paying." He said, causing me to scoff and roll my eyes. We had been here about an hour, and our sensei had yet to show up. Personally, I didn't mind, gave me more time to read.

Almost as soon as I picked up where I left off, Kakashi-sensei appeared.

"YOUR LATE!" Sakura and Naruto yelled simultaneously.

"Sorry I was late, a black cat crossed my path, so I took the long way around." He told us. I smirked and put away my book in my bag.

I smiled to myself proudly. I had decided to listen to him and not eaten this morning. Truth be told I didn't have time, but same thing.

"Okay, so your goal is to take one of these bells from me." I glanced down to see he only had two bells. I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

_I certainly would pass, right?_

_Right! _

"And the two who do not get a bell, by noon, won't eat lunch." Kakashi continued. I glanced a look at my teammates, who all looked upset, and I myself was. I felt my stomach growl, and i held it, waiting for it to stop. Now I would pass for sure.

"I will tie you to those posts over there, and eat in front of you." I died a little bit inside hearing that. Naruto looked like he would cry and so did Sakura. Sasuke only looked mildly upset, but that was his way.

"You can use shuriken." I nodded. I'm sure those would be useful, he is a jonin after all.

_Yeah! We're totally the best with shuriken! _

_I know, this'll be a piece of cake._

"And whoever doesn't get a bell, won't eat and will be sent back to the academy." He finished.

_Tch, easy. _

_Hm, yeah._

My eyebrow twitched. Since I wasn't listening, I missed that part where Naruto decided he would attack sensei before he said go.

And before I could even blink he had the kunai pointed toward the back of his neck. Without thinking I lunged forward to protect him, whipping out my own kunai. I held it at Kakashi's shoulder, the arm that was holding the blade. I pricked him with it, just enough to let him know it was there.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I growled, pushing it a bit farther. Kakashi blinked and simply said,

"I didn't say start yet." I growled in the back of my throat, waiting for him to release Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke just stared at me like I was a fool.

"Hitomi, what are you doing? Naruto can handle himself!" Sakura yelled. I continued to glare at sensei, totally ignoring the pink-haired girl. Sensei let him go, Naruto's arm falling to his side. I exhaled with relief, putting my kunai back in its place.

"Thanks." He whispered, rubbing his shoulder. I nodded, crossing my arms. My heart rate had increased exponentially and felt like it would bust out of my chest, but I kept my cool.

_What are you, an idiot? What do you think you could do against a jonin?_

_I don't know, it just sort of...happened._

_Sometimes I think your attachment to him is too much._

_Shut. Up. We owe him a lot. _

"Go." Kakashi stated, and stayed where he was.

_How arrogant._

Sakura and Sasuke took cover in the trees and bushes, but I didn't care, I just wanted to eat. I smiled to myself and exchanged a glance with Naruto. we crossed our arms in unison and smiled at Kakashi.

"We're not gonna hide!"

"We're gonna fight, fair and square!" Our words were met with a weird look from sensei.

"Aren't you two a little weird?" He asked, causing me to scoff at him, and Naruto to insult his choice in hair style. We both moved in together, in practiced formation that comes when you are running with someone everyday.

But that's were our coordination ends. You see, he thinks differently than I do. so, naturally it was only when we weren't thinking that we could work together. Which in short means...

We're both idiots.

Kakashi reached in his bag, his eyes narrowed. Naruto and me shared a look and jumped back, waiting for him to pull out a weapon. I gripped my katana, feeling the erratic beating of my heart.

A book.

Sensei pulled out a _book_. I mentally scolded myself, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Naruto watched him in confusion, his movements frozen for the time being.

"W-why did you take out a book?" A porno too.

"I got curious as to what would happen." He replied smoothly. I gagged, and let out a nervous laugh.

_whatever, don't think about it, Hitomi. _

_Fine, you ready?_

_Yup._

And without a plan, Naruto lunged at him, holding out his hand ready to bash his face in. He swung and missed. He kicked and missed. And finally Kakashi stood behind him, holding his book closed but his fingers marked his page.

"Never let your enemy get behind you, idiot." He said. That's when I noticed. His fingers were in the seal of the tiger. But before I could warn him, sensei attacked.

"A thousand years of death!" And Naruto was poked in the butt. I laughed, watching my friend fall into that water, not too far from me. I quickly snapped out of it, putting my hands up for a jutsu. I felt myself make clones, one of them being my voice of "reason", if you want to call her that.

It was a skill I had picked up at some point. She smirked at me, knowing my goal already, and grabbed her copied katana.

And then, two shuriken shot out of the water, aimed at sensei. I waited to see what would happen, to see how he would handle the situation while he was still focused on his porn.

He easily stopped then with his fingers, not even looking up for a second. I hummed, sharing a glance with Riyu, (that's what I named her a while ago.) Riyu narrowed her eyes, her grip on her katana turning her knuckles white.

Naruto crawled out of the water, coughing. I ran over to him, trusting that Riyu would watch my back. I helped him up, warily watching Kakashi.

"Your not gonna get lunch by noon like that." He commented, putting a hand on his hip.

_I wouldn't count on that._ I thought to myself, since Riyu couldn't answer while she was out of my body, but I could imagine her response.

"I'm gonna pass no matter what!" Naruto shouted, earning a confident grin from me.

_And I'm gonna help, but first..._ I was interrupted by clones of Naruto jumped out of the water.

"This is my best technique, SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" He declared, his doubles rushed at Kakashi who was currently walking away. I stared at him in shock.

_That's how he did it! That's how he got the headband! _

His one onyx eye widened with interest as he watched the miniature army run at him. The bells jingled softly and suddenly, a Naruto was attached to Kakashi's back. His eye widened even more and he tried to turn to his current attacker.

"A ninja shouldn't let his enemy get behind him, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto laughed, his clones grabbing his legs. I nodded to Riyu, this was the distraction we were looking for. I made another clone to replace me and I hide in the bushes to my right. Riyu could control my clones, that's how she would be able to pull it off.

As my group attacked, I crept around best I could to work my was back to the posts.

_Can't fight with an empty stomach can we?_ I snicker, and tripped over a branch.

_Can't walk either, apparently. _The lunches were in sight, and I licked my lips in anticipation. I could almost taste it. I glanced back to see all of the Narutos fighting each other. I held back a frown and tried to figure out were Kakashi went.

I watched Naruto for a second longer to see Riyu get tied up in a tree with Naruto. _A trap._ I thought tiredly. He used substitution to get away, and now he was using Riyu's or I guess my, rashness against me. I shrugged, Riyu would make sure nothing too bad would happen to him.

I ran behind a post, the lunches only five feet in front of me. I reached my arm out, but it wasn't close enough. I sighed and got out from hiding, grabbed one and went back to the post.

I hopped back to the bushes, just in case sensei had seen me. I opened the lunch, and heard a branch break behind me. I looked back and saw noting, only to turn around and have Kakashi standing over me, holding Riyu in his freehand.

"Lose something?" Riyu looked at me sadly as I yelped and tried to run. Kakashi easily caught up and brought me back to the posts. He tied me to one of them and looked at Riyu.

"Am I gonna have to tie you up too?" He asked. She shook her head and disappeared with a puff of smoke. And to add insult to injury, my stomach growled.

_"_Sorry I got caught, Hitomi." Riyu muttered, arms crossed. I sighed.

"I think you need to pay a bit more attention."

"You're one to talk." I blew my bangs out of my face and hungrily watched the food that was five feet away.

"Don't even think about it."

**_I'm gonna be taking a break from this for a while since I'm grounded now... So if I don't upload that's why... Anyway thanks for reading! _**


	5. Damn you, Kakashi!

Riyu tapped her fingers impatiently on the top of my head as she sat and watched Sasuke fight our sensei. Sakura had long since been out of the game, and I'm not too sure where Naruto was right now.

"Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, holding a hand in front of his face as he breathed fire toward Kakashi. My eyes widened and I exchanged a look with Riyu. You us, it had looked like a direct hit, but there was no way. A genin couldn't take out a jounin like that.

"No way…" I breathed.

"I don't know, Sasuke _is _pretty good." Riyu replied. I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. I shifted a little, trying to relieve some of the pressure on my arms and chest. Sasuke's dark eyes flickered around, trying to figure out where Kakashi would pop up.

Suddenly, a hand reached out of the earth, pulling Sasuke down so that all that was visible was his head.

"Earth style, now if you'll excuse me." Kakashi said, appearing for one moment and disappearing the next. Sasuke yelled in frustration, his eyes twinkling with anger. Just then, Sakura decided to show up. And as soon as she saw Sasuke, she screamed and fainted.

"Dumbass!" Riyu yelled at her. I laughed,

"Idiot number one!" Then we heard Naruto yell. We snorted with laughter as we realized he had gone for the lunches too. A few moments later, Naruto was tied up right next to me. I nodded my head.

"Hey."

"Hey idiot number two." Riyu said, cracking a grin. Naruto pouted as Kakashi brought Sakura over as she regained consciousness. Sensei looked down us with disappointment.

"How'd we do, boss?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well you won't be going back to the academy…"

"We passed! Believe it!" Naruto cheered, kicking his legs.

"Riyu, high-five me." I ordered happily. She slapped her hand against my tied up one.

"Yeah! Told you it was easy!" She sang. I smiled and cheered with her. Kakashi held up his hand.

"Not so fast, you won't be going back to the academy because…I'm dropping you from the program." Tears pricked at my eyes and I looked down.

"No way…" I whispered. The others objected but I wasn't paying attention. A hand touched my cheek, and Riyu made me look at her.

"Chill, just watch."

"No, Naruto! You tried to do everything yourself, and I mean everything. Sasuke, you thought you were better than your teammates. Hitomi, you didn't work with anyone or even try to get a bell. And Sakura you were too obsessed with Sasuke to help Naruto who was right in front of you!" He paused to pull Sasuke out of his hole. He pressed a foot on his back, crushing him.

"Sakura, kill Hitomi or Sasuke's dead." Kakashi ordered. I jumped, kicking my legs in front of me.

"W-whoa, let's not do anything crazy…" I stuttered. Sensei rolled his eyes and released Sasuke. Sasuke brushed himself off, trying to regain his dignity. A felt a stare on the back of my head, specifically a condescending one.

"Problem?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Riyu. She shook her head and stubbornly looked at Sensei.

"You're going back." I focused and poofed Riyu away, tucked safely in my head.

_Hey! I wasn't done being you!_

_Yes, you were._

"As genin you will face many difficult decisions. And you will have to work _as a team._" He explained, pausing for a moment. And in the moment in time, the sun hide behind a cloud, the wind blew hair into my face, and my nose decided it was itchy.

"I'll give you one more chance. You two can eat and then you'll try again. And don't let them eat." Kakashi ordered, pointing at the two of us. A cloud of smoke appeared where our sensei used to be, and the wind brushed it away gently.

Anime tears fell down my face and I cried along with my stomach.

"Why is he so cruel?!"

"Yeah, c'mon!" The others exchanged glances, uncertainty glimmering in their eyes.

"Here." Sasuke grumbled, holding his lunch up to me. And upon seeing her love do that, Sakura stubbornly offered her food to Naruto. Now my anime tears were for joy, and I happily eyed the sweet smelling food in front of my face.

"You guys are the best!" Naruto bawled, his eyes bright with joy, but he paused.

"Shh! Do you _want_ to get caught?"

"Sorry," He smiled sheepishly. "Sakura, can you feed me?" Naruto asked. A glare was her response, and a loud, WHAT?! He looked down at his tied arms and chuckled nervously. Sakura held out some food to him, grumbling that she would never do it again.

"Sasuke?" I called sweetly. He blinked, only a second later glaring at me.

"Fine." He held the food out, carefully balancing it on his chopsticks. I happily ate it, smiling at him.

"Thanks!" I hummed as I chewed. I swallowed and beckoned him closer. With eyes narrowed, Sasuke leaned in closer. I got really close to his ear to make him uncomfortable.

"_Suke-kun_." And with a loud "mwah!" I kissed his cheek. What? I was really hungry! So what if I thanked him? His jaw snapped shut as he pulled away, a faint blush on his pale face.

"Whatever, dobe." Sasuke mumbled, holding out more food. I sent a quick glance toward Sakura, she hadn't seen it. I internally ROLF'd and ate the offered food.

"HEY!" Kakashi yelled, appearing at Sasuke and Sakura's side with a stern look on his half-exposed face. Sakura jumped a little and Sasuke looked…bemused.

"You all…" I flinched at his tone, my eyes dropping to the ground.

"PASSED!"

"I hate you, I really do." I muttered. Our new sensei laughed with a closed-eye smile.

"W-what? But we... But you…" Sakura stuttered. I glared at her.

"Shut up, we passed didn't we?" I hissed. Sasuke looked away, a smirk on his lips.

_Don't pretend you didn't want to kiss him._

_Of course I did! As a token of my thanks._

_Sure._

"You ignore orders and helped your teammates, most people would blindly follow my orders. Good work."

_So we should never listen to you? Was that the lesson?_

_Hitomi…_

I shrugged, eying the lunch that Sasuke was still holding. My stomach growled and I licked my lips, the scent of the food somehow becoming stronger.

"Sasuke, I'll give you twenty bucks if you untie me and give me that lunch." I said, adjusting my ropes.

"No."

"Pwease?"

Silence.

"Suke-kun, please." I sang, fluttering my eyelashes.

"I'll untie you, Hitomi!" Naruto cut in, pulling at his own ties. I rolled my eyes.

"How?"

Silence, and a few awkward laughs. Sasuke finally decided to cut me lose, holding a kunai on the ropes ready to cut, but he paused.

"Twenty bucks?" He repeated. I eagerly nodded, trying to make him cut.

"Nope," Sasuke leaned in again near my ear. "How about lunch with you as payment? You're buying." His breath tickled my ear and I twisted to face him to make the weird feeling go away.

"Why does everyone what me to pay for lunch…?" He raised an eyebrow.

"_Fine." _I said through gritted teeth. The ropes released me, allowing me to stretch my arms. I looked up at the cloud patched sky as I felt my muscles relax into their usual non-cramped positions. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the others watching me, mainly Naruto and Sasuke.

"What?"

"Anyway… Be back here tomorrow at seven thirty for training. But for now, let's go get ramen." Sensei declared. Our jaws dropped and we stared after him.

"How about eight? Eight works for me. I like eight, very symmetrical too." I asked, walking behind Kakashi, my hands clasped together like I was praying.

He shook his head and continued to walk. I barely noticed Naruto yelling to let him go but Riyu called my attention to it.

"Crap." I muttered and took out a kunai. I aimed and threw it at Naruto's bindings, letting him go.

"Thanks!" He called as he chased after us. I smiled and waited for him. Suke- I mean Sasuke! Hehe… in turn waited for me, and Sakura for him. Naruto caught up, walking on my left side with his hands behind his head. Sasuke was to my right, hands in his pockets and a distracted glaze over his onyx eyes.

_You like him~_

_No I don't~_

_Yeah huh._

_Not uh._

"I don't want you going to lunch with that _teme_." Naruto whispered to me. I blinked.

"I don't think that's you decision."

"Can I come too?" He asked, warily watching the other boy. I looked down, glaring at the ground. Shaking my head, I looked back up sternly.

"Mind your own damn business, and let me do what I want!" I huffed. The look in his pools of blue made me furious. It was like he thought he would change my mind and like I would follow him around like a puppy.

"Why don't you go to lunch with Sakura?" I barked, walking a little bit faster. I growled under my breath, holding my hands firmly at my sides.

_Tch, what do you own me now? _

_Wow, so we going to lunch or not?_

I turned to Sasuke who had caught up to me, leaving Naruto in the back. I puffed, blowing my bands out of my face.

"Lunch?" I asked, my voice only a hint that I was irritated. He nodded once and led me away from Miss. Pissy and the _dobe_. I had never thought that described him until now.

Ever since three years ago, I would never leave his side if I didn't have to, but right now, he was the last person on earth I wanted to talk to. I don't what it was, but he pissed me off. Like, he didn't think I had my own free will, which is the exact opposite of the truth.

I was independent as all hell, Naruto should know that.

I sighed. Sasuke was walking a little close, but I didn't really mind, he's surprisingly being sort of nice today. I smiled to myself.

_He's not so bad…_

*Suke-Kun's POV*

I watched Hitomi's eyes flickering around with the same curious light that she looked at all things with. The hot afternoon sun made her dark, curly hair shine. Her amber eyes burned with anger, but the same amazement that they always hold.

Hitomi's eyes were like actual amber. They held every emotion, displaying them for the world to examine. But, even with her expressive eyes, her face remained stoic, and frozen in place. It was like she thought I couldn't see her feelings.

When she wanted me to feed her earlier, she was adora- I mean_ pathetic_. I glanced down, willing my wondering thought out of my mind.

Or maybe she was like a clear pond. You could see the bottom and the surface was still and reflective like a mirror.

I shook my head again, staring ahead. I shoved my hands into my pockets, following her to where ever she wanted to go, I didn't really mind.

"We're gonna go to my favorite place, 'kay? 'Cause I want too and I'm really hungry…" Hitomi said, glancing back at me. I nodded to her and her face lit up.

"Awesome!" She cheered, grabbing my hand and starting to run. I tripped forward a little bit, but I regained my balance.

_Maybe I can learn about Riyu too…_

This _would _ be interesting.


	6. Lunch Dates

I found my favorite ramen place, Tamariba. I never told Naruto about this place because I had no desire to deal with the bill. I hopped up onto the bar-style stools, Sasuke taking the seat next to me.

"Hey, Hitomi, what can I get cha? The usual?" Mr. Ikasu asked with his warm smile. I nodded eagerly and licked my lips in anticipation.

"What about your young friend?" He asked with a suggestive wink. I glanced at Sasuke who was watching me as I tried to fight back my blush.

"What do ya want, Sasuke?" I asked him, trying to distract myself. He gave me a miniature smile and ordered whatever.

As I watched Mr. Ikasu prepare my food, I felt eyes on the side of my head. I pretended not to notice, but I think I made it obvious that I noticed.

"You need something?" I wondered aloud after I had worked up the nerve, my eyes meeting Sasuke's. He shook his head and continued to watch me. I shifted uncomfortably, messing with my hands. His stare made me nervous and comfortable at the same time if that makes sense.

"So how's your training? I mean, yeah your pretty good, but…" I started, trying to start a conversation. He simply shrugged.

"Pretty good. You saw me today didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly, so I need to train more."

"W-what?"

"I need to be stronger, so I can beat my brother." I shuddered at his intense look, and fingers twitching nervously.

_Why does he have to be nice then scare the crap outta me?_

_That's Suke-Kun for ya._

_Suke-kun?_

_Your name for him, not mine._

"Here ya go, Mimi. Fella…" The man said, placing the bowls in front of us. I smiled and thanked him, taking up my chopsticks. Barbeque pork was literally the best thing ever. Naruto had gotten me hooked on it years ago. I sighed internally.

"Mimi?" Sasuke teased. I looked away, taking a bite.

"Shut up." My thoughts somehow drifted back to Naruto.

_Not even here and I'm still thinking about him. _

_Yeah, what the hell? You've got this cutie right here! _

_What._

And apparently, Mr. Ikasu used to be friends with my father before he had me.

"How's Riyu?" The man asked, leaning on the counter.

"Still yapping away." I told him, tapping my head. A grin plastered itself across his face as he laughed heartily. Sasuke had decided to be oddly quiet, even for him.

"Hey, did I like offend you or something? 'Cause your being kind-"

"What's Riyu?" He interrupted, folding his fingers in front of his mouth. I coughed, feeling the hot soup almost coming out of my nose.

_How attractive… _

_Like I care!_

After a straight minute of coughing, I was finally able to respond.

"What?"

"She's a handful, that's what…" Mr. Ikasu cut in. "How about you bring her out?" I thought for moment. Right now, she was talking a little too much about Sasuke for my liking and I'm sure she would say something idiotic. Finally, I nodded, creating a clone for her to take over. I immediately regretted that decision.

"Hey, Suke-kun! Guess what?" Riyu sang, grabbing both of us by the shoulder and pulling us under her arms. My eyes widened and I clamped my hands over her mouth with a nervous smile.

"I don't know what you're going to say, but shut the hell up." I laughed anxiously. She tried to get away, pushing my face in.

"Don't listen to her, Sasuke!" I gasped, jumping on her back to get a better hold. The raven haired boy watched us with patient amusement, waiting for us to settle down.

"She's a poet at heart!" Riyu choked out, getting a laugh from Mr. Ikasu.

"She's got cool scars! " I slapped my hands over her mouth again.

"Shut it!" I hissed, tightening my hold. I felt her sigh tickle my hand and she nodded. I reluctantly let her go, sitting back in my seat.

"Don't say anything stupid." I told her, picking up a new set of chopsticks since mine had fallen on the ground.

"So, what's new with you? Dating any girls?" I blushed and glared at Riyu. Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his dark hair falling in his face.

"You can't just ask somebody that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not your business!"

"No." Sasuke told her, with a glance in my direction. I couldn't help but look down in embarrassment.

"Back on topic. _Please._" I begged. Riyu rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the opposite side of the

"So, Riyu, what are you?" Sasuke asked once we had both calmed down. Right now, I was pretty focused on my food.

"I'm her voice of reason. Pleasure to meet you. " Riyu giggled, holding out a peace sign. I shook my head tiredly. She and Mr. Ikasu exchanged a quick hello before she went on to answer Sasuke.

"When she was born, I was bonded to Hitomi's conscious. I have advised her, her whole life." Sasuke nodded, examining her.

"Oh! I totally forgot." She said, putting her hands together for a jutsu. With a puff of smoke, she turned back into herself. Her dark grey hair fell to her waist, and her blue eyes glowed with pleasure. She wore dark brown pants that went to the middle of her calf, and a white tank top.

Pain shot through my body when she turned back into herself. I held my head for a moment and took a few breaths.

"You could at least give me a warning." I hissed. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, watching my face. Mr. Ikasu looked at me worriedly.

"That still difficult?" I nodded, clenching my fist.

"It uses a lot of chakra, so if you would _please,_ tell me when you're going to do that!" I scolded. Sasuke even looked a little worried.

"Sorry, Boss. Anyway Suke-kun, I'm sorta another person, just without a body. "

"Do you have memories from before that?" He asked. Riyu nodded. Yes, she did. She would tell me stories of her ninja missions before she was killed when I was little, to help me fall asleep. She even told me about the nine-tailed fox, which was what had killed her.

It was always a sad story, she died protected her little sister, but she too died. It made me glad I was an only child.

"But other than that, I am not allowed to say." I leaned over Sasuke's head to see Riyu.

"What?" I gaped. Usually, she wouldn't keep her mouth shut like that. The boy under me grunted, and glared and me, moved back so I could see her with other sitting on his head. I could see her debating herself, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Can't say. He made me promise." My eyes narrowed, and I leaned back in my seat with a huff.

"Don't be mad, you'll find out soon enough." She whispered. Riyu decided she would leave me and Sasuke alone, and wonder around Konaha for a while. She promised me she won't get into too much trouble.

Oh, well.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sasuke lead me home, keeping his eyes ahead. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky orange and pink. Clouds blew across the sky in webs, looking like they were made out of gold. And the first few stars were starting to dot the sky.

"So, scars?"

"Don't worry about it." A hand grabbed mine, and pulled me back. Sasuke looked into my eyes intensely, not saying a word.

"U-um."

"Tell me." He hissed, pushing me against a fence on the side of the road. He held my hands above my head, still remaining silent. My heart was up in my throat, and I nervously looked to the side.

"Do I make you nervous, _Mimi_?" He asked, leaning close to my face. I blushed, and struggled to find my words. And to fill the silence, I stubbornly shook my head. A smirk played on his lips and went to my ear.

"If you don't show them to me, I'll find them myself." Sasuke whispered, kissing my jaw. I yelped, and struggled in his grasp. It felt wrong, even if I did like him, I won't want it to happen _this_ way.

"N-no, please just listen…"

"I thought you wanted this, asking me to lunch…" I flinched.

"Yelling at Naruto…" I flinched again.

"Kissing me…" Sasuke breathed on my lips now, pressing them to his for a moment. My heart sped up, and I forgot how to breathe.

"Well m-maybe." I stuttered, turning my face away from him. _I mean, I don't want to hurt his feelings or anything… but what if I do like him? _

His soft lips touched mine again, but more forcefully this time.

_Hey, you know you two are the cutest thing ever? What were you talking about? _

_Just make him stop! _

_Tch, no. _He moved back down to my neck, making sure he left a mark. I whimpered, which only seemed to edge him on.

My body froze up, and Riyu started to chuckle slightly. She was controlling me like a puppet. She wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him closer.

"So does this mean you like me?" Riyu asked sweetly, biting her…_ my_ lip.

_No! Stop!_

_Too late._

_Stop it! _

_No, you stop being a tsundere! _

_A w-what?_

_Nothing. _ Sasuke smirked, kissing my lips once more.

"It does, _Mimi_."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh god, oh god, oh my god. Riyu, what the hell?! _I closed my door behind me as I entered my apartment.

_What? I'm just doing my job. _

_You're job?! Why the hell do I care about your damn job? _

_It's my job to protect you, and I think Sasuke is best suited to protect you when I can't. You need to be safe, no matter what. I know what I'm doing. _

_Do you? Because it's like you don't know a __**thing**__about me! _

_Yes I do. And I thing you need a boyfriend slash husband to protect you._

_HUSBAND?! _I grabbed my hair in frustration so hard I thought I was going to rip it out.

"I don't like Sasuke!" I yelled aloud, stomping my foot.

_Too bad, I make the decisions. _

"It's my body, and I'll do what I want! Get out!" My voice rising even higher.

_Man, you're getting to be high maintenance…_

"_GET OUT!_" And like that, her presence was gone, but I could still feel her stinging glare in my mind. My heart raced, and my nerves refused to settle. I had never really had an argument with Riyu before. A cold breeze passed through me, and I shivered.

_Who can I call…?_ Of course the only person I could call was Naruto. I sighed, picking up the phone with a shaking hand. The dial tone beeped in my ear with its incessant monotone groans. I shook my head and put the phone back on the receiver.

_I can walk. I don't really wanna make a fuss._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The door seemed to be a thousand miles away when in reality it was only three feet. My shaking hand knocked on the door so softly I thought Naruto might not hear it. I almost left but the door opened a second later. Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Hey, Hitomi, what are you doing here?" He asked closing the door behind me as I entered. I hugged his neck, burying my face in his shirt.

"I-I know you're probably still m-mad at me b-but… I had a fight with Riyu after she forced me to kiss S-Sasuke. She said it was for "protection"." I cried, sniffling every so often. Naruto hestitently hugged back, resting his head on top of mine. I could feel his heart beat against mine, which only furthered my confused thoughts. Leading me to the couch, he kept an arm around my waist, gently sitting me down.

"What do you mean forced you?" I shrugged, leaning on his shoulder.

"She took control of mu body like when I was l-little." I told him quietly. Naruto grinned down at me, with his blue eyes blazing.

"Well you don't need him to protect you, because you've got me, believe it!" I smiled back. Something about his smile was contagious. I hugged around his waist, and snuggled up to him.

_He means so much to me…._ A sigh brushed my face, hugging my cheek like the sweet breeze it was. It felt like I was under water, my limbs felt like they were floating. It was warm and safe, nothing bad could happen as long as I stayed right here.

It was like when I was little. When I would wake up from my nightmares and Naruto would be at my side to comfort me. I felt like a little girl again with everything that had happened.

Naruto brushed my hair away from my neck, looking at the mark that Sasuke had left. I sucked in a breath, feeling his finger brush over it. His muscles stiffened, anger dancing in his cerulean eyes.

"I'm gonna beat him, believe it…" I shook my head.

"N-no, it's fine…" He tilted up my chin, a stubborn look on his face.

"Don't worry I'll take care of it." He told me. I bit my lip and nodded.

_I'm gonna own him again…_

"You can sleep in my bed." He said, pointing toward his bedroom door. The desire to sleep arose, forcing me to drag myself toward his room.

I twisted the knob, turning to face him for a moment.

"Thanks…" I shut the door behind me, a sigh escaping my lips. Immediately, I went to his drawers to steal some clothes to sleep in.

After quite a bit of searching, I finally found boxers and a t-shirt that weren't too bad, not that I minded. They smelled like soap, laundry detergent, and Naruto.

I inhaled the scent like the creep I am, before I dressed myself. I dressed quickly incase that my host decided he would walk in unexpectedly.

Sleep slowly crept up on me as I pushed my thoughts out of my head. Plus, Naruto's blankets looked really soft. I tucked myself in, letting out a long sigh.

This would be the first night I could sleep without Riyu bothering me. I looked out the window, catching a glimpse of something for a moment. I decided I didn't care and fell asleep.

"_Hey, freak." Kazuko snag, her voice dripping with venom. I looked at the ground, nervously twitching my fingers. _

Fight her! I'm tired of her bullshit!

Please go away, you're the reason I'm in this mess…

At least let me fight her, girl!

_When I was little, Kazuko and her friends would abuse me every day I walked home from school. This was before I was enrolled at the ninja academy. And when I got home, my father would beat me for having Riyu. _

_Everyone thought I was possessed, since I hadn't had the ability to control her yet. When I'm unsure of myself, or I'm not confident, Riyu takes over so that there isn't a moment of weakness. Even at my young age, she watched me like a hawk. _

_But, since I couldn't control her, a lot of her energy was misguided when she tried to take over, and when she did control me, she ended up being only as strong as me, which didn't help defend me. _

_Kazuko flicked my forehead, her eyes glimmering with dark malice. I heard chuckling around me, and two of her friends came out of the shadows like snakes. _

_I shook with fear, continuing to look at the ground. Kazuko and her friends were bigger and older than me, even now. _

"_Let's play a game. Let's play artist." Kazuko snarled, lifting me up by my neck. I coughed, clawing at her hands, trying to get air to my lungs. Her friends chuckled, slithering forward, close enough for me to see their faces. _

_Air finally reached my lungs when I was slammed on the ground, dust smudging my face and clothes. Asking her friends to hold me down, Kazuko took out a kunai and cutting my shirt. _

"_No! Please don't!" I cried, trying to wiggle free. Cool air hit my back, and their cruel laughter filled the air. I begged them to let me go, but they wouldn't listen. _

_Tears streamed down my face as I screamed for help, but it was like everyone in Konaha decided they didn't hear. _

_That cut deeper than any knife. That even now, when I needed help, I was ignored. _

"_I wonder what I should write… Yuki?" _

"_How 'bout 'freak'?" The tip of the kunai pierced my back and I struggled harder. _

"_No! Stop!" They only laughed in response. Long, agonizing stokes of her kunai branded me as a freak. Almost as soon as they started it was over, but it felt like hours to me. _

_They left me, bleeding and weak on the side of the street. Blood started to pool around me, and I stopped crying. _

This is how I die? A freak?

You're not going to die look._ I was fully prepared to die. No one wanted me around, and Riyu always tortured me with her presence. I weakly brought my gaze up to see a blonde boy my age, and a ninja, with a scar across his nose. _

"_See! I told you she needed help!" He declared and ran over. _

"_Are you okay?" He asked, his blue eyes wide with worry. I groaned and nodded my head. _

"_I-I'm f-fine. Just leave m-me here to d-die." I murmured, closing my eyes. _

"_Don't close your eyes! Hey!" A finger tapped my cold cheek. His finger was so warm, I wanted to reach out and grab on, and never let go._

"_Naruto, give her some space. We have to take her to the hospital." The man spoke, gently picking my up. I cried out as his finger brushed my fresh wounds. _

"_Sorry, won't happen again." He apologized quietly, carrying me in the direction of the hospital. I nuzzled into the man's vest, and asked,_

"_Who are you?" _

"_Iruka Umino."_

"_Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!" _

My eyes snapped open, staring into the dark night. My fingers were tightly gripping to the blankets and I felt a wetness in my eyes.

My heart was beating quickly and my breathing refused to slow.

"Hitomi?" A familiar voice called from the door way, as a blue light leaked into the room. I stayed quite because I didn't trust my voice. The blonde boy walked to my silently and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and I cried, for the first time in a while.

He was so comforting, he felt like the only person that cared about me. I felt Riyu had returned but I didn't even bother with her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked awkwardly. I guess he was a little out of practice.

"I-it was K-Kazuko." I gasped, clinging to his shirt fearfully.

"It's alright. I'll keep you safe, believe it."

For almost a year, I had followed him around, refusing to leave his side. I wasn't even enrolled at the academy when I met him. I had joined so I could be close to him. You can imagine my shock when I found Kazuko and her gang in the same class.

The boy even gave a _name._ I was just addressed as "bitch", "girl" or "freak" before. He let me hold his hand when I wanted, even though he blushed like crazy and said it was just to make me feel better. He even helped with Riyu best he could, and it really helped.

Naruto's loud nature and determination helped me come out of my shell, and it's thanks to him that I am who I am.

He saved my life. I'm a stronger person, and I have a great life ahead. It's thanks to him that I even have a future. If he hadn't found me, I have no idea where I'd even be now, probably dead.

Maybe, one day I'll be able to pay him back.

**Hey guys! I'm thinking about doing loner chaps like this one, so comment if you wanna see more of that. And this was originally like three parts but I mashed all the romantic stuff together for you convenience! So, are we Team Naruto or Team Sasuke?**


	7. Fight Time!

Training today was one of the worst experiences of my life. For one, Kakashi was late, _again._ Then, he asked us to show him our skills, and he dared to insult my shuriken throwing. And apparently, my swordsmanship needs _work._ He was two seconds away from me punching him in the face.

And then, to make it worse, I had to fight Sakura, the pissy princess. Of course I beat her. I mostly used her as a punching bag though. What? I'm a little frustrated right now! At least it wasn-

"Hitomi, you fight Sasuke since you two are tied for wins." _Goddamn it._

"I still thin-"

"No, he won fair and square, Naruto." Naruto actually lost pretty badly. But he tried his hardest, and he would fight Sasuke again probably in the next hour. I glared at the raven haired boy, but he was just happy to see me. He was a little mad that I had walked with Naruto.

"Hey, Mimi." I crossed my arms and looked away. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Naruto stiffen, but both me and Sasuke ignored him. After all, I could beat him, I had my secret weapon. I had been waiting to use them, but I wasn't about to waste them on Pinkie.

I got ready, holding a hand at my side.

_If I can beat Sasuke, then I can protect Naruto! Maybe I'm getting closer to paying back my debt!_

_I doubt it. Considering how highly you hold Naruto._

_Ugg, I hate you. _

"Go!" Sasuke threw a few shuriken and kunai at me, which I easily blocked with my katana. The metals made a soft chime as they made contact, before they fell at my feet. He jumped up and it looked like he was preparing a jutsu.

I removed my sword from its sheathe, allowing the blade to gleam in the sunlight. The reflection shone right in his eyes, making him stop his jutsu. No point in using your chakra when you can't even see your target.

I used a substitution jutsu that I had spent a while trying to learn. I hide in a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Sasuke landed on his feet, glaring at the dummy. I reached back, pulling out a few senbon.

I had practiced with these since I had become comfortable with shuriken. And I figured out the basics of pressure points, and where to hit when using them. I wasn't a genius, but I knew enough to make a difference.

I aimed at the pressure points in his shoulders, and threw.

_That'll stop his jutsus~! _I practiced for months, even in my apartment. If there are mysterious holes in the walls, it's because of senbon.

The senbon hit their mark, making his arms drop to his sides limply. Sasuke's eyes widened, and his well-aimed punch toward my clone was thwarted.

He growled angrily, and kicked my sub, making her poof away. His dark eyes wondered around trying to find me.

"You got it, Hitomi!" Naruto yelled encouragingly. I smiled to myself, mentally thanking him.

_That was a pretty strong kick… GET HIS LEGS! _I threw more needles at his legs' pressure points. I hit where I wanted, but one had missed. It was pointing right toward my location.

_Oh well, he's pretty much harmless now._ I hit his right leg, so all he could use was his left. I hopped down with a smile. All my training was paying off.

"Getting slow, Suke-Kun." I teased, only a second later to mentally slap myself.

_Don't encourage him! _

_Yes encourage him! _

He couldn't do anything, but hobble around with those needles in him. I smiled triumphantly, putting my hands on my hips.

"Did I win?" I asked. Kakashi smiled back, and called us over.

Again, Sakura was mad I hurt Sasuke, but right now, I didn't give a damn. Holding up a hand for me to

high-five, Naruto grinned at me as he ran over.

"Way to go, Hitomi! You sure showed him."

"Shut up, loser!" I snickered, pulling out the senbon. I did want those back. The tips pricked my fingers but I didn't mind. I even noticed Sasuke wince when I pulled them out.

Sasuke slowly regained control of his body. A giggle threatened to escape me when I noticed him flinch.

"Impressed?" I asked the rest of team seven. Naruto gave me a thumbs up, Sensei smiled, and Sakura gave me a look that said, "I'm-impressed-but-I'm-not-going-to-admit-it".

Of course my senbon were useful, I had used them to protect myself on more than one occasion. Usually, I'd use them like daggers and just stab pressure points. They were pretty hard to us in close-combat. I liked them though, they were much more subtle than my katana.

"Where'd you learn that?" Kakashi-sensei asked me.

"I figured it out. Trial and error." He blinked.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"No. Right, Naruto?" The blonde shuddered.

"R-right…hehe." I laughed, putting my senbon back.

"How's your aim?"

"Missed once. Woulda been over sooner, but y'know. " I stretched my arms, sighing deeply. Sasuke grunted and crossed his arms. Smiling to myself, I looked the other way. An arm wrapped around my shoulders and Naruto pulled me to his side with a fat grin on his face.

"That's my, Mi-chan!" A wave of heat crossed my face, while Naruto smiled at Sasuke, causing there to be a terrible awkwardness in the air.

_Oh, lord._

_What? This is entertaining as hell! _

Sakura looked between us with a confused expression, but I could see the relief in her jade eyes.

_Don't worry, I don't want Sasuke._

_Yes you do. _

I shifted uncomfortably as Sakura's gaze wondered down to the mark on my neck. I avoided her gaze, which seemed to dance with knowing. Kakashi seemed to notice it too, I mean he is a jounin.

Somehow my face felt like it was even hotter. They assumed it was Naruto. I don't know why, but that seemed preferable to them thinking it was Sasuke. I moved slightly closer to Naruto, trying to hide from their gazes, but they followed me.

"Hmpf." Sasuke muttered, crossing his arms. I guess he realized what they were thinking too.

_This is gonna be a long day…_

/\\\\\\\\

"Are you in position?"

"Tch, maybe."

"Hitomi!"

"Alright! Sheesh… yes."

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah."

"Sakura?"

"Yes, I'm in position, Kakashi-sensei."

"Naruto?"

"Yup."

"THE TARGET MOVED!"

"HITOMI, BE QUIET!"

Oh, right. Sorry." I sat in a tree, on one of the most boring missions I could ever be on. I was just trying to make it more fun. And it's not like I couldn't hear Naruto trying to stifle his laughter, and I think I heard a smirk in Sasuke's "yeah". Maybe I would go shopping later… I did need new nin sandals… and my shirt was getting a little old.

Maybe I could bring Sakura, I mean, we gotta be buddie buddie if I want those test answers. Plus, I did like how she dressed, and since she thought I didn't like Sasuke, she might not be as snippy.

I heard the trees rustle and Naruto shouting. I raised my eye brows and jumped out to find him wrestling with a cat.

"Do we have a positive I.D?" _This is so goddamn dumb… it's just a freakin' cat…_

It was the right cat at least. I laughed loudly, like a manic as I watched my friend try to escape the cat. Sakura and Sasuke came out a few moments later. Disappointment was etched on their faces, but so was the faint trace of success.

"We did it, guys!" I cheered sarcastically, fist-pumping. I sighed and ripped the cat away from Naruto.

"That's really annoying, y'know." I told him, putting the cat on my shoulder. It purred and I gave it a smile before we started to walk back. Kakashi-sensei didn't look impressed, but then again, who would be?

/\\\\\\

"Sakura!" I called after the pinkette. She turned, an eyebrow raised. I caught up, heaving out a long breath.

"I know this must be cliché, but you wanna go shopping? I could use someone else's opinion and I'm not gonna ask Naruto to come…" She blinked her wide green eyes at me in surprise.

"Sure." _Step one, complete._

/\\\\\\

"How 'bout this?" I asked, holding up a blue dressy thing like hers. It had a white wave pattern on the skirt up to the waist on the left. And fishnet shortsy type things. And my black nin sandals would look nice with it.

Sakura weaved her head in a so-so motion, and held up black shorts and a red crop-top. I bit my lip nervously.

"I've got scars on my back…" I murmured. A faint uncomfortable blush crossed her cheeks for a moment and she put it back.

"Okay, how 'bout this?" She held up a dark red tank top with fishnet sleeves, but my scars would be covered. I nodded and went to try it on.

The shorts can down to my mid-thigh, and the sleeves looked really cool. And everything matched, it was perfect. It was worth it to bring Sakura along. I quickly changed back, and came out happily.

"Thanks, Sakura! It looks great." I told her, walking over to pay for it. I noticed a necklace on the way.

It was a small pendant, with a tiger on it. It was in the classic, Japanese art style, with the tiger stalking toward whoever was looking at it. I held it in my hand, watching it glimmer slightly in the light. I grabbed it too, and paid for everything.

"It was no problem." She replied with a smile. I grinned back as we walked out. I put on the necklace, holding it in my hand for a moment before I let it rest on my chest.

"You wanna get something to eat?" I asked her, waiting on the side of the road, watching people walk by. Sakura nodded and she followed me to a café that was across the street.

We settled into a seat, waiting for our waiter/waitress. I glanced out the window, soaking in the pretty blue of the sky. Sakura wasn't so bad, once she's away from Sasuke anyway.

"Hitomi?"

"Hm?"

"What's with you and Naruto?" I flinched, pulling my hands into my lap.

"What d'you mean?" I asked dumbly, pretending not to know. She gave me a look, and I sighed.

"Where do I begin?" I snuggled back into my seat, looking down at my hands.

"Well, I was bullied by Kazuko, Yuki, and who's that other girl? Kaya. And they gave me some… uh… scars. After they did that, Naruto and Iruka-sensei found me and took me to the hospital." I swallowed.

"_What's your name?" Iruka asked, carefully balancing me in his arms. I opened my eyes slightly. _

"_Bitch." I whispered. He blinked his warm brown eyes in shock._

"_A little girl shouldn't use that language." I flinched._

"_Sorry… b-but that's what… my f-father calls me." I heard Naruto bounce up next to us. _

"_How about we give you one?" He asked. I widened my half-open eyes, and nodded. _

"_How about… Maya?" Iruka suggested. I shook my head. _

"_Kasai?" I shook my head._

"_What about… Arai?" I shook my head._

"_I think her name should be Hitomi, believe it!" Naruto said with a smile. I weakly smiled back and nodded. _

"_See that! She's Hitomi from now on!" _

I looked up to see Sakura's expression. She looked hurt and worried. I smiled at her sadly.

"I know. Pretty pathetic. But after that, I followed him around for months. That's why I joined the ninja academy. Then I decided I would be the greatest female ninja ever, so that I could pay Naruto back. He gave me a life and a name. I own him everything." For some reason, I felt like I could open up to Sakura.

It was something about her that made me feel at ease. I didn't give her enough credit.

"Wow…" She whispered. Of course she did think Naruto was a screw-up and an idiot, but maybe what he's done for me could change her opinion.

"That's why I'm here now, talking to you. Otherwise, I have no idea where'd I'd be."

Sakura was silent for a moment, but then her gaze trailed back to the mark on my neck.

"What about that?" She asked. I blushed and looked away.

"Did Naruto do that?" My blush intensified.

"N-no! I-it was…" I can't tell her it was Sasuke, she'll kill me…

"Daisuke…" _Are you kidding me? _

_W-what else could I come up with?_

_You're literally the dumbest person I know… That sounds too much like Sasuke! _

_I know that! _ Sakura thought for a moment.

"I don't know any Daisukes…" _Thank god she's an idiot._

_Tch, I thought you liked her._

"He's not from around the village, he was visiting his… uncle."

"Oh, did you know him from before?"

"Before what?"

"Going to the ninja academy."

"Oh, right right. Yes." I mentally face-palmed, and trying to flag down the waiter who was _supposed _to bring my tea ten minutes ago.

"I'm glad you're on our team, Hitomi." I choked on the tea I finally got.

"W-what?" I stuttered. I always thought I was only an okay ninja, _I _wouldn't want me on my team.

"You're a valuable teammate. Even though you don't sit down and focus all the time, you're smart in your own way." I blinked in surprise.

"I just thought you needed to hear that. You're not too far from being the greatest kunoichi."

"Thanks… that means a lot." I said, giving her a small smile.

"You're pretty good yourself. I mean, I can never figure our genjutsus." _Okay, you don't think she's __**that **__good._

_Shut your hole, Riyu._

I think maybe from now on, I could give Sakura a break.

/\\\\\\

We waited in front of the Hokage, as he offered a few missions for us to take. I rocked back and forth on the heels of my feet, quite bored with the current conversation.

"No, no, no! I want a real mission!" Naruto whined, crossing his arms. I scoffed. Iruka-sensei slammed his hands on the table, glaring at my blonde friend. I snickered, listening to them bicker was always funny.

"How about I send you on an escort mission then?" The Third suggested with a smile. I clasped my hands in front of me with Naruto at my side after he finished muttering.

"Who? A princess?"

"Maybe a dignitary?" The Hokage chuckled and asked some of the shinobi to send him in. An older man with a bottle in his hand stumbled in. His lazy eyes dragged over us in a harsh way, that made me want to punch him in the face. He took a long drink out of his bottle and I smirked to myself.

"_Excellent._" That earned me a smack to the back of the head from Kakashi.

"I am Tazuna, the master bridge builder." He said in a rough voice. I glanced back at the Hokage for reassurance.

_This isn't a joke right?_ He smiled.

"It will be your job to escort him back home, and protect him while he finishes building the bridge." The Hokage explained.

"Is he really a ninja? The little one with the stupid look on his face?" Tazuna asked. I snickered. Even though I was shorter than him, he was obviously talking about Naruto.

"Haha, who's the short one with the stupid look on his… face…" And then he realized Sakura and Sasuke were taller than him.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled, trying to rush the obviously drunk man. Luckily, Kakashi grabbed his collar in time to stop him.

"Naru-kun, we're not supposed to kill the client." I teased. He glared at me and crossed his arms. I nodded and put my hands on my hips.

"Easy, c'mon guys. LET'S GO!" I ordered, marching past them. Sadly, Kakashi grabbed my collar this time. Which didn't make sense since I didn't have a collar, but I realized he had grabbed my katana and the strap was holding me back.

_Man, you really are dumb…_

_Shut the hell up!_

"Okay, now we can go."

"What the hell…"

/\\\\\\

"Mission~ Mission~ We've got a C-rank mission~" I sang, adjusting my katana at the gate of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"What are you excited for?" Sakura asked me and Naruto. We looked around happily, and Naruto replied,

"We've never been out of the village before!" I nodded in agreement, and bounced over to Kakashi-sensei.

"You've been all over haven't you?" I asked him. He gave me a closed-eye smile and nodded, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes, on missions." I gazed at him with admiration before Tazuna cut in.

"Are these kids capable of this?" I crossed my arms, and glared at him, but before I could retort Kakashi answered for us.

"I, a jounin am here to help if anything goes wrong, so nothing will happen to you." He promised.

"I make no promises…" I muttered. I received another slap to the head and I grumbled under my breath, following my other teammates and Tazuna down the dirt road.

"I'm an elite ninja! I'm gonna be hokage one day, believe it!" Naruto barked, pointing a finger at Tazuna as we walked. Tazuna took a long drink and looked at him with a bored expression.

"The Hokage's like the top ninja right? I don't think a guy like you can become one." I bristled and glared at him. I opened my mouth to tell him he was a drunken old fool who needed us to hold his hand to get home or else he would get murdered by someone who wanted to do humanity a favor… but Naruto was already yelling at him.

I looked at Kakashi angrily. He seemed to understand and he shook his head. I grunted and crossed my arms. Kakashi held him back again as Naruto tried to pummel the man and I simply watched. I would get him while he slept.

_This is gonna be a long trip…_

_You're telling me…_

I glanced at Sakura and she rolled her eyes and continued to walk. I shrugged and followed her, choosing to ignore the blonde's yelling.

As we walked, I noticed a puddle which I hopped over to. I looked down, admiring my reflection and my new clothes.

_I am looking fine._

_Keep walking, dumbass._

_You suck. _I twirled around and brushed my hair back into place. My amber eyes looked gorgeous against the intense blue of the sky that was reflected to.

"Keep moving." Sensei ordered with a stern look. I rolled my eyes and ran after the others.

_That was weird…_

_Yeah… Whatever though… Let's just watch the clouds instead…_


	8. B-Rank Mission!

Okay, so apparently that harmless puddle was hiding two ninjas in it. No wonder Kakashi told me to leave it alone. The two were connected by a chain on each of their claws, which had poison on the tips. They ran at us, quickly tying up Kakashi-sensei. I gasped and started to run toward them, but they ripped him apart.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The two ninja appeared behind Naruto, chuckling evilly.

Fury was the only the only thing I could see on Naruto's face, and I imagine I looked the same.

"Second one." One of them muttered, lunging at the blonde. My body snapped into action.

I rushed at the three of them, trying to block the ninjas' attack before they struck Naruto. Suddenly, a kunai was thrown and it pinned their stupid looking chain to a tree.

I smirked and whipped out my katana, severing the chain and knocking them away from Naruto. I swiped at them, but they danced away. I growled, grabbing my senbon. I threw them, but I missed almost every single time.

Another smirk worked its way across my face, and I pulled the wires that I had attached to the senbon. One of them managed to jump away in time, but his friend wasn't so lucky. He got tied up, his arms uselessly strapped to his sides.

"Naruto!" I spun around to face the other ninja that Sakura had tried to warn us of. He was racing at Naruto again! The blonde was frozen and he numbly stared at the ninja who was quickly gaining ground.

There was no time to get my katana or kunai. I would have to use a jutsu, but which one? As I struggled to think of something, Naruto was knocked down, but the ninja was quickly dealt with Kakashi-sensei.

Wait, Kakashi? I did a double take, rubbing my eyes to see if this was real. I glanced back at where his body was supposed to be, but all there was, was a pile of wood.

Kakashi held both of them by their necks, and took them over to a tree where he could tie them up properly.

"Naruto, sorry for not helping out earlier, I didn't think you would freeze up like that." I glared at the ground, feeling my racing my heart.

_Are you kidding? Thanks for making me panic, asshole._

_Oh, shut up. I think he was right. Naruto should be able to defend himself. _

_But it's my job to-_

_No! It's not your job! He didn't ask you to defend him!_

_You're one to talk, Riyu. _

_You're hopeless…_ I played with my pendant, and looked toward the two assholes that tried to attack us. Kakashi smiled at me, Sasuke, and Sakura.

"Good work, Sasuke. Hitomi, and Sakura, you too." I glared at Sasuke.

"What'd you do that was so great?" I hissed, crossing my arms. Smirking, he looked toward the tree with the chain pinned to it.

"You're welcome." I scoffed and when over to Naruto.

"Hey," Sasuke called to Naruto. He looked up at him, his eyes having a trace of disbelief in their blue depths.

"You aren't hurt are you? Scaredy cat." I growled under my breath and prepared to throw an insult at him, but Naruto was already yelling at him with a scowl on his face.

"There was poison n these guys claws. We need to take the poison out right away." Kakashi said, still holding the guys. With wide eyes, Naruto looked down at his bleeding hand. I gasped and took it in mine.

"We have to open up the wound, don't we?" I asked to no one in particular. Sensei agreed. I grit my teeth. I didn't do what I had promised. I didn't protect him. Our first real mission, and I get him poisoned within the hour it seems.

"Try not to move too much. The poison will spread faster." Sensei told him. I mumble sorry under my breath. He stared at me in confusion. I silenced him with a shake of my head, and went to Sakura's side. She pat my back, putting away a kunai I didn't notice she had.

"By the way, Tazuna…" Kakashi started, turning slightly to face the man.

"W-what?" Tazuna stuttered slightly. The younger man smiled at him.

"We'll have to talk later."

_Oooo, he's in trouble~_

_Oh, grow up, Hitomi._

/\\\\\\\

"These are two chuunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist. They are known to keep fighting, no matter the cost." Sensei explained once he had them tied up.

"How did you know we were going to attack?" One of them asked.

"Because it hasn't rained in a while, and today is sunny so there shouldn't be a puddle."

"I found it you guys! Found the puddle… That's what I did." I but in, with a nervous chuckle. I didn't want to look _too_ bad in front of Tazuna, even if I did want to murder him.

"No you didn't! I saw you checking yourself out!" Sakura grumbled. I laughed loud enough to cover her comment.

"Oh, Sakura! You and your…ways!" I laughed, looking away from her, are-you-serious look.

"Why did you let the kids fight if you knew that?" Tazuna asked, completely ignoring me. I rolled my eyes. This guy was really getting on my nerves.

"If I was up to it, I could've killed these two in the blink of an eye,"

"I'm _glad_ you're my sensei." I mumbled, but once again I was ignored.

"But…" His gaze slide toward Tazuna.

"I needed to know who their target was."

"What do you mean?" The older man asked. I looked back toward Naruto.

_We really should be dealing with that, right? I mean, poison is a little um what's the word? LIFE-THREATENING_.

"In other words, was it you, or someone in our ninja group?" _Ninja group… We need a better team name._

_Aren't you supposed to be dealing with something? I.E that douchebag Tazuna? _

_Kakashi's got it._

"We hadn't heard anything about you being targeted by ninja. Your request was to protect you from armed groups, like gangs or robbers. This is above a B-rank mission." _Oh my god, we're totally on an A-rank mission, we're so awesome! _

"Our mission was to support and protect you until you complete the bridge. If ninja are our enemy, this should be a B-rank mission."_ Oh well, close enough._ I brushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear, put flinching when my cheek stung. Pulling my hand away from my face, my fingers had a little bit of blood on them.

_What the hell! I didn't even-_

_It was that kunai, it must've been closer than we thought._

"Sasuke!" I whispered angrily, turning to the boy standing next to me. He eyes widened, his eyes immediately finding the cut.

"Work on your aim, asshole." I hissed, trying to wipe away the blood before it bled too much.

"Sakura, can you help me?" I asked quietly. The pinkette took one look at the cut and nodded, reaching for bandages in her little pouchy thing. She handed it to me, and I decided I would wait for this little ordeal to end before I dealt with it.

"It looks like you have your reasons, but it only troubles us if you lie in your request details." Sensei continued, sparing us a glance. Sakura bowed slightly with a nervous smile.

"This mission's out of our league." She told him. _Well maybe but-_ "Let's quit." I glared at her.

"What? Why?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"We need anesthesia to take the poisoned blood out of Naruto." She added, with a meaningful look directed at me. Pausing for a moment, I looked at Naruto. It would be pretty dangerous to continue if he had poison in him, but I know how much this mission meant to him.

"Fine, let's go back to the village and get a doctor for Naruto." Suddenly, Naruto whipped out a kunai, and stabbed his hand. Like a maniac! MANIAC!

"Why am I so different…Why am I always…_ Damnit._" He cursed. I gasped, trying to make him stop.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" I shouted, balling my hands into fists.

"I should be stronger… I've accomplished lots of mission and I practiced technique everyday… I never going to do something that will require someone to help me." I took a step back, clutching my chest slightly.

"I'm never going to be frightened and try to back out of things. I'm not going to lose to Sasuke." Naruto growled, sparing me a glance.

"I vow that to the pain in my left hand. I'm going to protect the old man with this kunai." Naruto turned around with an anger looking smirk, the kunai still in his hand.

"The mission is still on." He finished.

"Naruto that was cool and all, but if you don't stop the bleeding… you'll die." Kakashi chipped in, with the same monotone voice. The blonde then proceed to freak out. I whipped put the bandage that Sakura had given me for my cut, I mean, he did need it more than me.

The bandage stopped most of the bleeding… I think… I'm not exactly a medical ninja! I smiled at Naruto nervously.

"I'm not sure if the bleeding stopped or not. So be super careful, 'kay?" I said, gently tapping his hand. He nodded. His hand already looked like it was healing to me, which couldn't be right, right?

"Kakashi-sensei? Could you check it or something? You should know more than me, right?" I asked, holding up Naruto's hand for him to examine. He looked at it intensely, and smiled at me.

"Looks fine, good work, Hitomi." I smiled back, scratching the back of my neck. _Thank god I did that right. _

_Yeah, but don't you think that healing was weird?_

_No. That wouldn't have happened. I think we imagine it._

_If you say so._ I shrugged, thinking about what he said, about not wanting help. Does that mean he doesn't want me around? No. Think about it, why would he have let you stay at his house?

_Because he's Naruto._ I numbly followed the rest of the group, not paying attention to anything but my own thoughts. Who wouldn't? This is a dire situation!

Nor did I pay attention to the fact that I was dropping behind. All I saw was the same dirt road beneath my feet, and the steady movement of my shoes.

"Are you okay, Hitomi?" My gaze snapped up to see a familiar grey-haired ninja.

"O-of course! Why d'you ask?" I replied, looking away.

"You just seem a little nervous. Was it those ninja?" Kakashi asked, looking toward the sky, and then toward me. I shook my head.

"No, it's just that…"

"Naruto then?" I blinked at him, crossing my arms.

"Maybe."

"You're a terrible liar." I looked away, hiding my gaze. Great. Too many people know about my promise. I was hoping to keep it secret, but apparently the universe doesn't want that to happen. At least Naruto himself doesn't know.

"Alright, so maybe I was. What's it to you?" I snapped. I hadn't meant to sound so hard, but it came out that way.

"Nothing. You just need to relax a bit more. He's fine, and you did a good job. What more could you want?"

"For him not to have be poisoned? That would've been good." I retorted. I felt a hand on my head, and I looked at Kakashi again.

"I promise, as long as I'm you guys' sensei, I'll protect all of you. No one on my team is dying." Kakashi said with a smile. I couldn't help but smiled back. I walked a little bit faster to catch up with the rest of them, but stopped for a moment.

"Thanks, sensei."

/\\\\\\\

The rest of the land portion of the trip was pretty uneventfully, except I may have tripped over my own feet once or twice. And the boat ride we were on was pretty silent. The mist was killing me though, I felt like I was going to have a panic attack.

It was suffocating me, and it made me feel claustrophobic. It was stressing me out that I couldn't see more than ten feet, let alone the fact that I was in an inescapable boat in the middle of the ocean! Why are we doing this?! I mean, yeah we were hired, but did we have to go when it was this foggy? Oh god, I hate this! Someone could be out there, waiting to kill us, and we can't see a thing! How are the rest of them so calm? What's wrong with them?!

"The mist is so thick, I can't see ahead." No shit! Sakura, now is not the time to point out the obvious.

"We should be able to see the bridge soon." Tazuna cut in. I swallowed nervously.

"If we move along this side of the bridge, we'll be in the Land of the Waves."

"Hitomi, are you alright?" Sasuke asked, a smirk on his lips. I rubbed my hand together and nodded my head.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just this fog is making me a little edgy." I replied. He watched me for a second longer, before going back to whatever he was doing. Did he always sit this close to me? And was the boat always this small?

_Hitomi…_

_WHAT. NOTHINGS WRONG._

_Right. Just… CALM THE HELL DOWN, YOUR GIVING __**ME**__ A PANIC ATTACK!_

"U-um…" the bridge finally came into view. I breathed deeply, playing with the ends of my sleeves. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to comfort myself. I don't remember the fog ever being this bad. I shook my head, looking forward.

_No, deal with it, if you're going to be a ninja, you gotta deal with your fears! _I told myself. The bridge was huge! It rose out of the water like a titan, and it had what looked to be construction stuff from here.

"It's huge!" Naruto exclaimed, voicing my own thoughts. I nodded in agreement.

"Hey, be quiet!" The boatman whispered yelled.

"We're using this boat to hide in the mist. That's why I'm rowing instead of using the engine." He continued. _I thought he just wanted the work out._ I guess the appearance of the bridge had calmed me down, we were close to the end.

"In other words, if we get caught, we're in trouble." _So strange people __**will**__ come out of the mist? Great._

_Oh, get over it. _Naruto quickly covered his mouth, while Sasuke and Sakura just looked at the man, Boaty, as I just named him.

"Tazuna, before we get off the boat, I need to ask you something." I listened closely, no longer playing with my sleeves.

"The identity of those who are after you, and the reason that they are after you. Or we can call the mission off when we reach the shore." Kakashi requested, his dark eyes not leaving the man.

"Looks like I'll have to tell you the real story. I mean, I would like you to hear my story." Tazuna sighed.

"Like you said, this job was out of the description. A horrible man is after my life."

"Who?" I asked curiously, leaning forward a bit.

"You all should have at least heard the name, Gato."

"Wait doesn't he own that company, uh, what was it?" I muttered, looked at Kakashi for help.

"Gato Company," That's creative. "He's one the richest men in existence!"

"Who? Who's that?" Naruto asked excitedly, leaning forward as well. I couldn't help but smile at him. He really was pretty childish sometimes.

"He's the president of the marine transportation company on the outside… but underground, he uses gangs and ninjas to smuggle drugs and contraband goods. He also takes over other companies and countries." My eyes widened. This man must be pretty smart, but I would have had better evil plans if I was him.

What moron hires gangs and ninjas? I would've hired a specially trained team that would be loyal to me, not people who could turn whenever they wanted! What am I stupid?

"A year ago, he set his sights on the Country of the Wave. He entered using violence and wealth as a shield, and he quickly took over the sea traffic and transportation. On an island nation like the Country of the Wave, controlling the sea means ruling wealth, politics and people of this land.

"And the one thing he is afraid of is the completion of the bridge that has been under construction for quite some time." I nodded.

"So that means the bridge is finished, he'll lose control, right?" I asked. Tazuna nodded.

"So, you're an obstacle as the one building it." Sakura added, tapping her chin.

"Then those ninja were sent by Gato." Sasuke said, turning to face me and Sakura.

"But I don't understand. He's a dangerous man that uses ninja. Why hide that fact when you came to us?" Kakashi asked.

"The Country of the Wave is poor. Even the feudal lord doesn't have much money. And we don't have much either. We don't have the money for an expensive B-rank or above mission." The pieces clinked together in my head, I would've done the same thing. But then, I could also fight them myself, and I wasn't poor, so I guess I can't really speak for him.

"If you quit the mission when we reach land, I'll be killed for sure. While I go home. But there's no reason you should blame yourselves. Only my grandson will cry and cry some more." Tazuna said.

_Ah, the old guilt trip, I see. _

_Yeah, a pretty good one too. _Sakura and Naruto sweatdropped, and looked at the old man is disbelief.

"And my daughter will hold a grudge against leaf ninja for the rest of her life, and live a lonely life. But it's not your fault." We all looked at each other for a moment. Laughter bubbled up inside me like boiling water.

"Y-you're the best!" I laughed, patting his shoulder. Kakashi scratched his headband for a solid ten seconds before he said,

"I guess it can't be helped. We'll continue escorting you." I laughed again.

"That's good

"You got 'em! I'll give you some props, old man. That never works for me anymore." I told him with a smile.

"That's not true!" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger at me. I smirked and stuck my tongue out at him, while Boaty told him again to be quiet.

"We're almost there." Boaty said. Land finally came into view, and I relaxed. So I would die a horrible death at sea.

"Looks like someone _was_ nervous." Sasuke teased. I rolled my eyes, and turned my attention to the water. It was calm and serene. I touched the surface with the tips of my fingers, so it barely made a ripple. I smiled at my reflection and splashed it away.

"Hey! Stop that!" Sakura scolded. Apparently I had splashed her. I smiled sheepishly and apologized, before going back to the water. It was hypnotizing.

"Tazuna, it looks like we haven't been noticed yet." Boaty told him. Tazuna thanked him, and we went under another bridge looking thing. The lights bounced off the top and reflected in the water, giving it a pretty goldish glow.

We passed through the light at the end of the tunnel, no I don't mean we died. There was a cute village, with trees somehow growing from the water and small houses on platforms above the water. Naruto was clearly impressed too.

But the strange thing was, there weren't any people. No children laughing, no adults out and about, talking and enjoying the clear, sunny day. How was this side of the tunnel even clear? It was dense fog on the other side!

We reached a place to dock, and we all went up. I was happily to be on somewhat solid ground for now, I wouldn't be getting on that boat anytime soon. Especially with that angry boat guy.

"This is as far as I go. Goodbye, Tazuna,"

"Sure, thanks a lot." And with that, we went to old man's house. Let's see if this grandson was worth the trouble. We got to actual land, not too long after we got off the boat. I happily marched along, but I realized my feet were getting a little tired.

"Hey, Naruto?" I called, looked back at him.

"Hm?"

"You wanna give me a piggy-back ride?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I'll give you one later."

"Deal!" He stopped and let me hop onto his back. I pointed ahead.

"Onward!" I yelled. Naruto laughed and we caught up to the others. It was nice to have a break from walking, but I have no idea how I'm going to carry Naruto, he lives off ramen, he's going to weight a thousand pounds. Kakashi shook his head with a closed eye. He seemed a bit worried about something, but I'll let him keep it to himself.

After we had walked for a decent amount of time, Naruto let me down.

"Okay, my turn!"

"NARUTO! You can't make a girl carry you!" Sakura scolded, hitting on the back of the head.

"It's fine, Sakura, I can handle it." I reassured her. _Sure it is. You're gonna be crushed!_

_Thanks for the encouragement. _

_No problem._ I turned around so Naruto could hop on, when my brain decided to become pervy. This must look really suggestive. I mean, a piggy-back ride? With a girl carrying the guy? Hehe… I didn't think my brain would go there but it did.

I blushed, mentally punching myself. I tried to push the thought to the back on my head, and focus on walking, but that didn't help.

So I decided I would laugh nervously. Sakura and Sasuke gave me weird looks, which made me laugh more. Oh, why did I read that doujinshi?! It turned all my thoughts into pervy ones! Damn it! Just let it go… let it go, damn it. It's Naruto.

I shook my head. Kakashi looked at me for a moment, and seemed to get what my problem was. He smirked at me. _Oh god, they think I date Naruto! I totally forgot! _

And that's when Naruto decided to freak out. He throw a kunai toward a random bush, and yelled "There!"

I almost fell over due to his sudden movement. I yelped, and tried to keep my balance, but I fell over anyway. Naruto crushed me, and I glared up at him.

"Asshole, warn me when you're going to do that!" I yelled, rubbing my head.

"It was just a squirrel." He told us, while Sakura was shaking with anger.

"Stop showing off! Nothing was there!" She yelled, shaking a finger at him. I shook my head, and watched them argue. A hand was offered to me by Sasuke, and he helped me up.

"Watch your step." Sasuke told me with another signature smirk. My eyebrow twitched. Naruto threw another kunai at another bush. That got him a smack to the head, and an extra one from me.

"But I really _did_ sense someone there, believe it!" He protested.

"Cut it out!" Sakura barked at the same time as me. I noticed Kakashi continuing to walk, but into the bushes.

"Great, look what you did!" There was a snow white rabbit that was huddled against the tree, scared for its life. I picked it up, and held it out to Naruto.

"Say you're sorry!" I ordered. He hugged the rabbit, rubbing his cheek on it.

"I'm sorry, believe it!" He said while anime crying. I glanced back at Kakashi, who looked concerned. He was staring out, onto the path that was a few feet from us. I raised an eyebrow, opening my mouth to ask him what was wrong be he cut me off.

"Duck!" A huge sword was thrown at us, and I fell to the ground, narrowly dodging said sword. _I almost just died… Oh man that was close._ I picked myself, checking to make sure everyone else was alright. The sword had barely missed Naruto's head, but he was alright too.

The sword flew and landed in a tree where another ninja had landed on it. He had bandages covering most of his face, and no shirt, which I thought was weird, I'm also a girl so. Kakashi spoke up first.

"You're Zabuza Momichi aren't you?"


	9. The Rouge Ninja

The newcomer, Zabuza looked down on us like he was superior. I was ready to throw a rainbow on insults at him, but for some reason that didn't seem like a good idea. He was an exiled ninja after all, I'm pretty sure there was a reason for that. I shifted closer to the others in fear that he would pick me off first.

Naruto ran forward like this was some kind of race, but Kakashi stopped him, thank god. I ran up next to him, it was probably best if I stuck close to him.

"You're in the way. Stay back." Kakashi ordered, giving both of us a meaningful look. Odds are, he knew more about this guy than both of us combined. I nodded and stepped back no problem. I could practically _feel_ the bad aura around him.

"Why?!" Naruto asked angrily.

"He's different than the guys we've met before."

_Wait, Zabuza? I've heard of him, the demon of the mist. He was in… ahem training the same time as me. _

_What does that mean? _

_He just showed up during genin exams, and killed over a hundred other students, or something like that. He's bad news, be careful. _

_Right. Thanks for the info, Riyu._ I looked up at him, repressing a shiver that threaten to rip through me. I checked Tazuna, he was still safe for the time being, and who knows how long that'll last. Kakashi-sensei lifted up his headband, exposing his other eye.

_Sharingan. _

_What? _

_That's' the kekkai genkai of the Uchiha Clan don't you remember? How the hell does he have it? _

_I don't know… And I'm sure Suke-kun is dying to find out. _

"I'm guessing your Kakashi, the copy ninja." Zabuza asked, more like told the silver-haired ninja. Interesting. That's definitely a better name. One day, I'll have one too! Hitomi, the… I'm sure I'll get there one day.

"I'm sorry, but I'll need you to hand over the old man." I gripped my katana, waiting to pull it out and cut this guy to shreds. Although, I somehow doubt my sword will do any good against his.

"Everyone, manji formation. Protect Tazuna. Don't join the battle." Kakashi ordered. His tone threw me off a little, he was dead serious. I don't know what I expected but… We fell back, standing around Tazuna protectively. I took out a kunai instead of katana, I hadn't practiced with it too much recently, I was a little rusty.

Kakashi had a scar running right down the center of his eye. Of course not _in_ his eye, you know what I mean. Sharingan actually looked pretty cool, it was interesting. I glanced at Sasuke, his brow furrowed into a scowl.

"I'm honored that I can see the sharingan I've heard so much about." I angled myself more toward him, to get a better read on where he would move first. No surprises so far.

"You guys keep saying it! Sharingan, sharingan! What is it?" Naruto asked, turning to Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke was the one to answer.

Sharingan, it's a kekkai genkai in the eyes that allows the user to see through any genjutsu, taijutsu, or ninjutsu. But that's not the only ability."

"It an copy any jutsu too. Perfectly." I finished, repeating the information Riyu told me the first day at the ninja academy. She had files locked away in her mind about each students' kekkai genkai, and told it to me when she deemed it appropriate.

The first day she told me about the sharingan. It scared me in the beginning, but now that I have two people on my team that possess sharingan, I'm pretty okay with it. I'm not sure if Sasuke has his or not, I'll have to ask him later.

Mist swept in suddenly, cutting us off from the rest of the world. My muscles tensed up, and my heart rate seemed determined to quicken.

_Not this again…_

_Riyu, shut up! You know you could try to be helpful._

"When I was in the Village Hidden in the Mist assassination squad, your information was listed in the bingo book I carried, asking for your capture. It also noted that the man copied over a thousand techniques, Kakashi the Copy Ninja."

I must say, that is quiet impressive.

"Wow!" Naruto shouted, looking at Sensei in amazement.

"Let's cut the chit-chat." Zabuza cut in, turning around fully to face us. "I have to kill him as soon as possible." All four of us tensed around Tazuna, keeping our eyes locked on the other ninjas. I calmed my breath, forcing myself to relax. This mist was really getting to me.

"But Kakashi, it looks like I'll have to defeat you first." Zabuza said. His words were met with a cold, hard stare from sensei. I inwardly shuddered, waiting for them to make a move.

That's when the rouge ninja jumped out of his tree, sword in hand. My grip around my kunai tightened. He appeared on the pond that wasn't too far from us.

"He's over there." Naruto pointed out. I nodded in acknowledgement.

_I'm impressed, standing on water?_

_You've never seen that?_

_Nope, first time._ Zabuza held a hand in front of his mouth, and another above his head. A jutsu, but what kind? Water and wind swirled around him, his headband and bandages whipping around violently.

"He's putting a lot of chakra in that water." Kakashi muttered, turning to face him.

"Ninja art, hidden mist jutsu."

_He doesn't want Kakashi to use his sharingan. _

_Obviously. _The man disappeared, mist coming in thicker now. I tried again to slow my breathing but it didn't help. Damn mist, and this time there was a killer hiding in it! I jinxed it!

"He disappeared." Naruto whispered disbelievingly. I shifted a little closer to him, I didn't trust this. I don't know what it was, but I felt he was close. It was like I could feel the energy radiating off of him.

"Sensei?" Sakura asked, as Kakashi wandered around a bit, trying to figure out Zabuza's location.

"He'll probably eliminate me first, but…"

"What is he?" I asked, forcing the fear out of my voice.

"He used to be part of the Hidden Mist's ANBU. He was known for his silent killing techniques."

"Silent…?"

"Just as the name implies, it's a killing technique that's over in a flash, and carried out in absolute silence. It's possible you'll be dead before you realize it." I shuddered. How could anyone do that? I would never just be able to kill someone in silence. I would let them have they're last words, and I would remember them, so that they didn't die silently.

"And now with this mist, I can't use my sharingan fully, so don't let your guard down." _Like I would._ I watched the mist, swirling like smoke in front of me. Slowly it all blended into one, and I couldn't tell what I was looking at anymore.

"But, if you fail, you're all going to die."

"I _love_ you, sensei. Remind me to kill you myself when we're done." I hissed. More mist, more panic.

"It's getting thicker!" The blonde pointed out after a moment of silence. I shivered, trying to ignore the fact that I was being _strangled_ by this damn fog!

And to top it off, Zabuza was listing off ways to kill us! Okay, I was about to lose my friggin' mind. My heart was beating erratically, and I couldn't control my shaking. I haven't felt this out of control since I was little.

It looked like Sasuke was having trouble with our position as well. He was shaking almost as bad as me. But he went one step further. At the angle he was holding his kunai, it looked like he was gonna kill himself!

"Suke-kun, please don't do that…" I whispered, trying to control my voice and my shaking. He looked up at me is disbelief, and then looked down at his kunai, quickly putting it away from himself.

"Don't worry Sasuke, I'll never let you guys die, I promised." Kakashi-sensei encouraged with one of his smiles. I swear, we couldn't ask for a better sensei.

"Well your about to break your promise, Kakashi." Zabuza growled, appearing behind us. I jumped out of my skin, whipping around to face the maniac.

Before the sword-wielding asshole could make a move, Kakashi jumped in front of us, and striking Zabuza with a kunai.

The rouge ninja splashed down into a puddle of water, leaving me confused. So now, we still had no friggin' clue where he was.

"Just a clone?" I wondered aloud, tapping the water with my foot. And then Zabuza jumped out again, killing Kakashi again, and then Kakashi held a kunai to _this _Zabuza. Dear lord, this was confusing.

And then Zabuza, the real one appeared behind him, a smirk hidden underneath this stupid bandages.

"You'll never defeat me." He chided, swiping his sword at Kakashi. Sensei jumped back, narrowly avoiding his blade.

I found it difficult to hold myself back. Even though this man scared the _shit_ out of me, I couldn't fight the urge to pummel him. That was _my _sensei. How dare he try to kill _my sensei_! I growled in the back of my throat.

My katana seemed sharper than usual, maybe I could make at least mark? But what hope do I have against an s-class criminal? I mean, Kakashi was having difficulty with him.

But what about teamwork? As cheesy as that sounds, it might work. It's just like the bells, right? Except we're trying to kill him.

I doubt I would get any help from Sasuke, and Sakura seemed a little out of it too. Naruto would be my only chance, but he would need to listen. Kakashi too… How would I get him to play along?

I know. As long as Kakashi's distracting him, I have an opening.

_Riyu, give me a jutsu!_

_How about fire strike? Or Tiger's claw? _

_Thanks._

I needed a precise jutsu. One that I had total control over, and there wouldn't be any chance of the attack accidentally touching my team. Kakashi was kicked out, over the water, with Zabuza standing above him.

They were on the water, like it was magic. I know it was basic chakra control, but it was still cool looking.

"Water prison jutsu!" Well there goes my plan. Kakashi was trapped in a ball of water, and now, there was no chance of sneaking up behind him now.

Fire strike might still work, but he _is _in a ball of water. That would have to be crossed off. Maybe I could try a water based jutsu?

Just then, Zabuza created a water clone, guarding him and Kakashi. I scowled. This was getting harder and harder.

"You wear headbands as if your ninja, those who have faced death so many times they can't even count. Those who have enough skill to get into my bingo book are worthy of becoming ninja. You four, are nothing but brats." I glared at him. Okay, he was definitely going down.

His cold, heartless stare shifted to me.

"Actually, you might be worthy, girl. You're from the Kodoku clan aren't you?" I raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"All of you! Get out of here! Take Tazuna, Zabuza's clone can't go far from the original. That gives you a good advantage." I paced, worriedly watching the two… no three in front of me.

_Riyu? What do you want to do?_

_What do you think?_

_Excellent. _

I created a clone, smiling at Riyu. We would be getting Sensei out of this. Before I could make a move, Naruto rushed him. Zabuza kicked him back, the cocky smile never leaving his face.

And then, he did the most unexpected thing. He started monologuing. It was actually pretty inspiring. I sighed. That sure would get the others into gear.

And on that note, he ran at Zabuza full speed. Getting kicked away again, he got up. He tied his headband back on, which I hadn't noticed. I took out my katana, same time as Riyu.

I ran at him this time. I dodged an attack, and Riyu struck. And as she dodged, I struck. We were in perfect synchronization.

But that was short lived. Our luck ended, as Zabuza created another clone.

_Shit!_ I narrowly avoided the second's attack, sharing a look with Riyu. She nodded and continued to fight. She trusted me to fight? Huh.

I used a couple hand sighs, and smiled at him. The least I could do was evaporate him, right?

"Fire strike!" My sword lit up with a beautiful golden flame. My strikes were faster, and stronger. And if it touched his clone, it would release steam. But there was never a direct hit.

_Where are the others?_ I was knocked back, into a tree. The air rushed out of my lungs, and I faintly saw that Riyu was beaten back too. Zabuza held her but her throat, strangling her with one hand.

"Riyu!" I gasped, pushing myself up on hands and knees. I coughed, struggling to my feet.

"I wonder how long it'll take for you to poof away, brat." Zabuza hissed at her, holding her tighter. With a sudden gasp, she poofed away, only for me to hear her a second later, struggling to compose herself in my mind.

The other clone disappeared into a puddle. I was knocked down again. I coughed, this time blood mixed with spit.

"So this is what the Kodoku clan has to offer? Maybe you're not worthy of my book." He snarled, kicking me in the stomach. I hissed in pain, holding my now bleeding stomach. I pushed myself up, flipping away and toward the others.

"Hitomi!" Before I landed, the blade of his sword ripped up my back. It didn't cut me, but my shirt was torn to hell.

My katana shook min my hands, and I watched him like a scared kitten. I was prepared to run back to the others, but Zabuza had already blocked my escape.

"Oh, so you've gotten your stripes?" I raised an eyebrow. **(A/N: Okay, let's change what her scar says. I think this would be much better for the story anyway.)** "Coward." I shook. I felt completely defenseless. There was no way I was getting out of this.

Coward. Coward. I was a coward. I couldn't even stand up to Kazuko. What made me think I could fight Zabuza?

"Hitomi, don't listen to him!" Naruto's voice rang, snapping my out of my trance. I stared at the ground, scared to look at this monster in the eye.

"You know I'm right. You're clan was right too. You just a _coward_." I dropped my katana, covering my ears, and falling to my knees.

"No! I'm n-not…." I whispered, feeling tears swelling up. His blade dug into my arm, but I couldn't move. He was right.

I knew it. Deep down, I was just a scared little girl, and wasn't wanted by anyone. Who would want a coward on their team?

I felt the blood running down my arm, and it felt right. Like I was meant to feel this pain. As punishment for not being able to save Kakashi. I couldn't even protect Naruto from those other ninja! I was worthless…

_Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura…. I've let you all down…_

_No, you haven't! Now get the hell up! _

_Its fine, Riyu. This is the end of the line. You've been a great companion. _

_As soon as things get bad, you give up. What happened to the Hitomi that I know? The one that never gives up, no matter what. You need more determination. _

_Why don't you fight him then? _

_Haven't you noticed? You're too low on chakra. Not only that, but that fear has a pretty strong hold on you, there's no way I can overcome that. But you can, you're a Kodoku! You're their heiress! Get you shit together, and fight! _

The blade cut closer to my original scars, and I screamed. I couldn't tell the difference any more. It was too much like three years ago. I was just as helpless as I am now. It all blurred together.

Kazuko's laughter, and Zabuza's. The blood. My fear. My helplessness. My _cowardice._ The pain. Oh, the pain.

"Stop…" I choked out. I didn't want to be here. Back in my childhood. This was my life. It was like I was destined to be kicked down, over and over again.

"Stop." I didn't want this.

"STOP!" I cried, holding my hands between me and Zabuza.

"Ha, you are a coward." I crawled away on hands and knees, dragging myself toward Naruto. He was my light. He was the only one that could help me, just like the first time.

_Where's Iruka? Isn't he supposed to take me to the hospital now? _

I pulled myself to his feet, watched the ground.

"I'm s-sorry, I-I disappointed you." I mumbled. I can't do anything right. That's what my father said right?

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked, leaning down. I nodded, flinching away.

"Y-yes. D-don't hurt m-me. I-I'm sorry." I repeated, avoiding his gaze. Naruto growled, standing up to his full height.

"Don't worry. I deal with him, believe it." After that, I passed out.

/\\\\\

I was shaken awake, but I don't think it was intentional. My eyes fluttered open, meeting a head of dark hair.

"Suke-kun?" I whispered hugging his neck. This wasn't right, wasn't he supposed to be Iruka-sensei? Sasuke was carrying me on his back.

"Hitomi… what happened?" He asked. I looked away, tightening my grip slightly. He sighed, turning his attention forward.

Tazuna and Naruto were carrying Kakashi, who didn't have his vest, and I was afraid he was dead. Sakura looked shaken, could he really be dead? I whimpered.

"W-what happened to Kakashi-sensei?" I asked. I looked down at myself, and saw I was wearing sensei's vest. He must've given it to me after the fight. I buried my face in Sasuke's back, feeling him tense up.

"I'm sorry, I-I was w-weak, Suke-kun…" I murmured. He stopped walking, shifting so he could look me in the eye.

A pale finger reached up, wiping away a tear that I hadn't even noticed.

"Hn. Don't worry about it, Mimi." He said quietly, but firmly. I weakly nodded, nuzzling into his back.

"T-thanks…."

/\\\\\

We arrived at Tazuna's house, being greeted by a pretty woman and a young boy. Sasuke had let me walk for a little bit, but I was holding his hand the whole time. If Naruto hadn't been carrying sensei, I would've been next to him instead.

"Oh my, you two need to come with me." She ordered gently, looking at me and Kakashi. I hid behind Sasuke, clinging to his shirt. He rolled his eyes, and looked at me blankly.

"It's fine. She just wants to look at your wound." He told me, stepping away so, Tsunami I found out, could get a look at me. I held his hand still, and pushed him ahead of me when she asked me to follow her.

Sakura glared at me, and I walked a little faster to avoid her harsh stare. In doing so, I pushed Sasuke harder. He huffed, and pulled me after the woman.

_Stop being a wimp and hiding behind Suke-kun! _

Kakashi was laid on the floor next to me, with a cool cloth on his head.

"He's fine, just tired is all. No need to worry." Tsunami told me with a kind smile. I smiled back and sat down so she could look at me.

"I can take care of her. You can leave now, Sasuke." He was about to leave to, but I didn't let go of his hand.

"D-don't leave." I begged, my eyes getting watery. Sasuke blinked and looked at Tsunami for approval. She had a faint pink on her cheeks and said, "Well, I have to take off your shirt to look at that wound. If you're alright with that…." I quickly nodded and pulled Sasuke down so he could sit next to me.

She asked me to take off the vest, and I looked at Sasuke shyly. He sighed and covered his eyes and turning away. I don't think the turning away was necessary, but as long as he was here, I didn't care. I took off my vest slowly, trying not to touch my cuts.

"Okay, just lay on your stomach." Tsunami said softly. I obeyed, taking Sasuke's hand in mine, squeezing it for reassurance.

The dark-haired woman got a good look at my injuries and started to work. The grip on my hand tightened, and I looked over at Sasuke, who was looking at my scars, and probably my new injuries too.

"Hitomi…." I sighed sadly and looked away.

"Okay, this is going to sting a little…" She murmured. I bit my lip as she dabbed disinfectant on the cuts. My hand tightened around the ravenette's once more as I silently took the new pain. It was nothing compared to receiving them.

"Almost done." Tsunami told me, picking up some nearby bandages. He looked away again as she wrapped them around my torso. I sighed and sat up straight, thanking Tsunami.

"No problem." She said with another kind smile before she left the room to check on the others. I took my bag that Naruto had been carrying apparently. I took out an extra shirt I had packed. It was dark purple and was long sleeved, which would cover up my bandages nicely. I put it on and held out my hand expectantly for Sasuke to take.

"Hn." He took it and sat next to me silently, looking at sensei.

I slid into bed, pulling Sasuke with me so I could rest my head on his chest. He complied, and I hugged his waist, listening to the steady beat of his heart. And his warm breath on my cheek lulled me to sleep.

**Thanks for reading do far! And thanks for the feedback, it means lot. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ~Kyoko-Chan**

**R & R **


	10. Climbing Trees with Ninja

A shifting next to me forced me awake. It was only for a moment that I had forgotten I made Sasuke sleep next to me. I smiled to myself, opening my eyes to check my bandages. Not bleeding. I nodded, pressing my nose to the raven's neck and falling back asleep.

/\\\\\

I awoke a second time, as Sasuke left. I checked my bandages again. Not bleeding. I fell back asleep, pulling the blankets to my chest tightly. It was only for a moment though, my room had other people in it.

Something was happening, I could feel it.

_Then why don't you open your eyes, and listen? _I sighed, rolling over to face the annoying noise. I glared at the blurry people on the other side of the room. There was a blonde blur, two ravens, a pink one, two gray.

"When she was little, her father would hit her if she did anything wrong, so she kinda freaks out when someone tells her she did something wrong. And her scars, well…" There was a pause. Naruto was telling them about my past? Did I say he could to that?

I wanted to open my mouth and shout at them, but my body railed against it. I was still half-asleep. I doubt I could formulate proper sentences right now to even yell at them.

"Kazuko, Yuki and Kaya did that." I growled, glaring at the empty space in front of me. They all looked at me in surprise, how did they still think I was asleep? I flinched, looking down.

Any anger I had felt before quickly shriveled up and died, leaving me lost. What was I going to do now?

"U-um, why are you guys in my room?" Naruto laughed, pointing a finger at me.

"This isn't your room! We're at Tazuna's house. You got hurt, remember?" I nodded, rubbing my shoulder. I noticed Kakashi was in bed too, with the others gathered around him.

"How are you feeling?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion. He should be worrying about himself, I'm fine. Just a scratch. If I ever see Zabuza again, I have no idea what I'll do. Either kick his ass or fall apart again. I shrugged, trying not to flinch at the simple movement.

"How are you? I mean I-I thought, um…" I couldn't say I thought he was dead, could I? He smiled again.

"I'm fine. Just need a little rest." I nodded, relaxing into my blankets, watching my teammates. They didn't look hurt. Good. But how did we get away?

"Do you want something to eat, dear?" Tsunami asked. I really liked her. She was kind and considerate. There was absolutely no way I could ever hate her. Hell, no one could.

I nodded, sitting up and taking the offered food from her delicate hands. I thanked her quietly and ate. I had no idea I was so hungry.

"So, um, what happened?" I asked, pausing my eating for only a moment. Naruto jumped up in his seat, pointing at Kakashi-sensei.

"He totally kicked Zabuza's butt with his sharingan. Of course, after I had weaken him."

"Shut up, dobe. I was the reason it worked." And they went on to explain the whole shadow clone thing, and getting Kakashi out. And then they told me about the tracker ninja that showed up.

That was strange. No wonder they thought he was still alive. Now _those_ are the ninja Gato should have working for him. Kudos. But, it was unsettling to know Zabuza was still out there. He almost killed Kakashi, and I don't even want to talk about me and Riyu.

I glanced at Naruto. He was shaking with anticipation. In fact, he looked a little crazy. Was he happy that Zabuza was alive? I furrowed my brow in confusion, glancing at sensei, who seemed to be thinking that same thing. I shrugged it off. Nothing too bad could happen, right?

Just then, a little boy, who I guessing is Tazuna's grandson came in. He had a weird hat on, and it made me want to slap it off his head. And his expression was almost hallow, even if he was happy to see his grandfather.

"Inari! Where've you been?" Tazuna said happily, hugged the small boy. I smiled at him reassuringly. If I was him, I'd be a little nervous with five ninja in my house.

"Mom, they're all going to die. There's no way they can beat Gato." He said calmly. But it sounded like there was a hidden edge in his tone. My gaze turned cold and I looked away.

"What'd you say, brat?!" Naruto demanded, jumping up once more. He pointed to Inari, a familiar look overcoming his face.

"Look, I'm gonna Hokage one day, a hero, believe it!" I heard a slight scoff, and I turned my head to face the boy. How disrespectful. He covered his eyes with his dumb hat, a smirk crossing his smug face. Oh, man do I hate this kid.

"A hero? There's no such thing as heroes!" He spat. I glared at him, my jaw shifting into an angry line.

"Well, then. I don't know what you're definition of _hero_ is, because they do exist, you little bi-"A hand slapped over my mouth and pulled me back. It was Sakura. I glared at her, and continued talking. It only came out as muffled grunts.

"If you don't want to die, go home." Were Inari's final word before he left the room. I continued to glare and fight Sakura's hold. When did she get strong enough to hold me? I cried out in frustration, crossing my arms.

"Hitomi, do you think that was appropriate?" Sensei asked, a stern look on his usually kind eye. I looked down, thinking it over. Of course it wasn't appropriate. Cussing out our host's kid? But naturally I would never admit I was wrong.

"Yes." I said, looking away. A long sigh came from sensei, and a slight chuckle from Sasuke. I looked up in alarm.

"Uh, excuse me." In all honesty, had forgotten that anyone else had been here. I hadn't meant to snap at the kid, but damn it, he was asking for it!

Sigh, I should go apologize. I walked back up the stairs, following where I think the kid went. That's when I heard it.

He was crying.

Damn, I didn't mean to be that mean! I felt horrible. Maybe I could give him a break…?

_No, he asked for it. And now, he's being an even bigger bitch. _

_Do you even have a heart?_

_Technically, no. _

_I should go in there._

_I don't think so. Do you wanna be covered in snot and little boy tears?_

_Better than feeling like this…._

"Dad…" I heard him sob. He was holding a picture. It was his dad I guess. That made me feel even worse. I slowly pushed open his door, closing it just as quietly.

"Hey, kid? I'm sorry I snapped at you…." I muttered, holding my hands behind me. He whipped around, almost knocking his stupid hat off.

"What are you doing in here?!" He demanded, running up to me, trying to push me out. But since he only came up to my hip, and was a little kid, I didn't budge.

I smiled down at him, kneeling down. I gripped his shoulders, pulling his into my embrace. I knew how he was feeling. My dad died too.

"Inari, right?" He nodded. I pulled him into my lap, resting my head on top of his (once I took off his dumb hat).

"My dad died on a mission. Protecting his team. I was devastated when I found out. I mean, sure he wasn't the best father, but I loved him. My mother died when… I joined the ninja academy. I miss them every day. But, I remember that they loved me, and they would be happy that I moved on, and have good friends, and a future." I sighed, looking down at him.

"And I never stopped believing that someone could fill the void they left. I'm glad I'm on team seven, I have no clue what would've happened to me if I wasn't. I have Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke…. They are the best family I could ask for. And you still have a mother and grandfather that love you." I heard him sniffling, and his breathes even out.

Inari, you have more than I ever had. Why can't you see that?

/\\\\\

**Sakura**

I blinked in surprise. I didn't think Hitomi could be so… kind. She usually was sarcastic, or callous. The only people she really even talked to was Naruto or Kakashi. And she opened up after we had went shopping but, it seemed like she was shut down.

So far, I knew that Naruto had basically saved her, given her a name, and a future. Her father was abusive and both her parents were dead, and she didn't have any other relatives. Her scars were a sensitive subject like Sasuke and the Uchiha clan. And what about Zabuza saying she was part of the Kodoku clan? Hitomi even looked confused by that.

"Kakashi-sensei?" I called softly, trying not to disturb him. The others had left for the breakfast, and Hitomi was still upstairs, I could ask Sensei, he should know right?

"Yes, Sakura?" I closed the door behind me, listening to make sure she hadn't come back down. I paced slightly, trying to figure out how to phrase this.

"What-"

"You want to know about Hitomi's parents?" I looked away, nodding once. He motioned for me to come closer, and I obeyed.

"He father is a murderer for starters. He killed Hitomi's mother out of anger when he wasn't allowed to see Hitomi at the hospital after Kazuko. He was abusive like Naruto said, but her mother was kind, I knew her. But Iruka thought it was a bad idea to tell Hitomi that her father killed her mother. Hitomi really did love her parents though, it would've crushed her." I stared at my hands.

She was still a little girl in many ways. She was told a romanticized lie, and she still believed in it. And she had no one but team seven.

But, Hitomi was stronger than me. She was alone, and managed to be a good friend and ninja. No wonder she was so dedicated to Naruto. He was all she had.

"What about the Kodoku clan?" I asked, looking up again. Kakashi shrugged, his brow furrowed in confusion.

'I'm not sure, I'll have to look into it when we return. The only person I know with that name disappeared a few years ago. She had some similar to skills to her too. " The door slide open, and Hitomi was there, a curious blaze in her eyes.

"What were you talking about?" She asked, sitting next to me. Kakashi gave me a look, telling me to keep quiet. He wanted her to believe the lies she was told?

"We were talking about training. Right, Sakura?"

"O-oh, right. How are we supposed to train with you like this, Kakashi-sensei?" I asked. This was a serious question. If Zabuza was still alive, how are we supposed to get better if our sensei is bedridden?

"Well, I guess I'll have to play through the pain."

/\\\\\

**Hitomi**

We stood around a clearing, waiting for Kakashi to tell us what we we're doing. I knew Sakura and Kakashi had been talking about me, I'm not stupid. So they wanted to know about the Kodoku too, interesting.

"Okay, we can begin with training." Sensei had hobbled out here on crutches, and he looked like he was having trouble moving around, even with those.

"But first, let's talk about chakra, see what you guys know." I groaned, crossing my arms. I entertained myself during this boring lecture from Sakura, by poking Sasuke in the back every five seconds. I wanted to see how long it would before he told me off.

I heard him grunt, and try to shake me off the first two times. The next he ignored me. And he continued to ignore me for most of the lecture. I heard Naruto yelling at the other two while I was busy poking Sasuke.

"Stop." He finally grunted. I scowled. That's barely a reaction. This time, I made sure the poke we harder, and in his side. Sasuke shifted away, and commented on the ongoing conversation.

_That's right, keep poking him. Now slap his butt, men like that. _

_What the hell?! NO! _

_Do it, he'll think it great. Look how exposed his butt is, he wants you to touch it. _

_What the hell is wrong with you?_

_Touch it. It'll be funny._

_NO._

_DO IT. _

I had stopped poking him by this point, too disgusted with Riyu to even touch him. Sasuke looked at me suspiciously before scooting farther away. I snickered, crossing my arms in victory.

"Climb a tree."

"CLIMB A TREE?" I looked up startled that Naruto and Sakura started yelling. Maybe I should have been paying attention. What are we doing? Kakashi looked at me and sighed, shaking his head.

"You didn't hear a word did you?"

"Nope, and please don't repeat what was said, I don't care. Just tell me what we're doing, I don't need an explanation."

"So you guys need to climb a tree, without using your hands." He told us, with a closed eye smile.

"How do we do that?" Sakura asked, looking just as stumped as the rest of us. Kakashi rolled his eye, holding up his hands, and focusing. A small breeze brushed past his feet, and he hobbled over to a tree. He pull his foot out, sticking it to the tree, before he climbed up, and hung upside down from a branch.

"Gather your chakra at the soles of your feet, and stick to the tree. Climbing like this is possible through the use of chakra." He explained. Hey, that's what I did! I practiced that all the time, this should be easily.

Well actually, I never tried anything with it, I just concentrated my chakra. And then Kakashi went into a whole explanation about how this would help us. Then, he threw kunai down at us, just in front of our feet. I jumped in surprise, earning an eye roll from Sasuke.

"With that kunai, mark how high you can get with your current ability." I nodded, picking mine up. I figured I could get pretty high. I looked up at a tree, setting a goal for myself.

"You should try to get a running start, the momentum will help you." Fair enough. I breathed deeply, focusing my chakra.

_Don't mess up._

_Seriously? Anyway, do you have any tips, I'm sure you've done this before. _

_Sure, I'll help steady it. _

_Alright. _

"Hitomi?"

"Yeah?"

"You can't let Riyu help you. You have to do it. On. Your. Own." Well there goes my plan. Wait, how'd he know about that? I was about to open my mouth and ask but he shook his head. I groaned, and decided I would do it myself.

I focused, running at my tree. It seemed simple enough, maybe I didn't need Riyu to help me. Man, was that a mistake. I got up a few good feet, but the bark broke under my feet.

_It's too much, try a little less._

I marked the tree, jumping back. This would be a little harder than I had hoped. I glanced at Naruto, who was rolling on the ground and holding his head. I sighed.

_He didn't use enough, right?_

_Yeah, so be careful. _

The hard part was maintaining it, I think. I was sticking, but I was thrown off. I tried again, getting a few feet higher, but I slipped off this time. I grunted, marked the tree, and fell off.

"This is easier than I thought!" Sakura said, sitting high in a tree. I gaped at her, clutching my kunai. How dare she be better than me!

"Looks like Sakura is the best at controlling her chakra, one of the girls." Kakashi pointed out, earning himself a few glares.

_Ooh, shet just got real. _

_Yeah, now shut up and let me focus._

I ran at the tree running up, past the second mark, and three quarters of the way to my goal. I was still below Sakura. I scratched the tree, sliding down a few feet.

_Nope, I am not gonna touch the ground. No way. I'm going to stay in this tree until I'm higher than Sakura. _

I grit my teeth, pushing more chakra to my feet to keep from sliding. I slowly stopped, and stood for a moment, making sure I was securely stuck. I ran up a few steps, all my attention on my feet, and keeping it steady.

Occasionally, it would be not enough, causing me to slide down a little, but I continued. I marked it, grabbing a low hanging branch. I dropped the kunai, and cursed under my breath, glaring at the ground. I was just below Sakura.

"_Goddamn it!_"

"Maybe Sakura is going to be Hokage, and maybe the Uchiha clan isn't so great. And maybe she'll want to read this manga that Hitomi wrote."

_Holy shit, how'd he find that?_

_I have no clue, we need to kill him. _

Okay, yes, I wrote mangas on the side. I can't be expected to train all the time. Personally, I thought it was great. It was about a boy, who fought on the streets for money. But then he met a girl, who-

"Hitomi, what is he talking about?" Naruto asked, looking up at me stranded in my tree.

"Nothing! I-it's nothing! Haha! Good _joke_, Kakashi-sensei." I said loudly, glaring at the man. He shrugged and continued to read it. I huffed, crossing my arms, completely forgetting I was still hanging out of a tree.

"Holy sh-" Two arms caught me, breaking my fall. It was a bush. Just my luck. I _would_ be right above a bush. I spit out a few leaves, rolling off the bush, glaring at Naruto and Sasuke who had come over to help me.

"You guys could've been a little faster, y'know." I hissed, gripping my shoulder. I pulled away my hand to see it was bleeding. I groaned and sat down, leaning against a tree.

_Perfect, now how am I supposed to train? And get back my manga?_

_Well, you could pretend it's not bleeding. _

_Yeah, thanks. That'll work. _

"You guys didn't happen to bring bandages over here too, did you?" I asked, trying to stop the bleeding. Naruto started to freak out, and Sasuke looked only slightly worried. I could see the concern in his onyx eyes though.

"I'll take that as a no, then… Sakura?" I called. The pinkette appeared with a roll of bandages, shooing the boys away to help me.

"Thanks. I swear, they're useless." I muttered, getting a stern look in return.

"Sasuke isn't useless." I rolled my eyes, letting her look at my wound. She sighed, taking off the old ones and putting the new ones on without hurting me.

"Are you alright, Hitomi?" Kakashi-sensei asked, covering his eye. I nodded. I then proceeded to mentally slap myself. He couldn't see me nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Sakura." I said, smiling at her. She was proving to be somewhat useful to me. Not in combat, but to heal me, and give me answers. She smiled back, and I put my shirt back on. I glared at Kakashi as I walked past him, snatching my manga.

"When's the sequel?"

"Shut up."

/\\\\\

I tried over and over again, and I couldn't get any higher. I grit my teeth, racking my brain for ideas. All this needed was focus, and that was the one thing I didn't have. I ran at the tree once more, slipping as soon as I touched it. I screamed in frustration, punching the tree as hard as I could.

The others didn't look too good either. Dusty, sweaty and tired. I growled, running at it again. I wasn't gonna give up. Plus, Sakura had gotten even higher than before. Oh, why didn't I ask her about it when she gave me bandages?!

"Hitomi, shouldn't you be taking a break?" Sensei asked. The others were sitting on the ground panting while I was still at it. Tch, lazy.

I shook my head, running up the tree again. It felt like I was in slow motion. It was working. I laughed, stopping my upward motion, looking down on the fools on earth. I smiled, jumping to a taller tree, and climbing higher, higher than Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto combined.

"Ha! Suck it, losers!" I yelled, throwing my kunai at them. Naruto yelled back, a grin on his tan face. I put up a peace sign, and ran up and down like a crazy person.

"How'd you do that?!" Naruto asked.

"I don't know, it just worked! I stopped thinking about it, and I did it!" I felt my hold on the tree started to slip. I guess I was low on chakra. I hopped onto a nearby branch, and made my way down.

"I'm cooler than all of you! I'd like to thank the academy, and Kakashi-sensei, and all of my wonderful fans-"

"What fans?" Sakura asked with a sweatdrop. I pointed to the rest of my team. The all gave me an are-you-kidding-me look, which I ignored. I smiled, plopping down in the shade of a tree. I laughed like a mad scientist, leaning on my elbows.

"What is up with you?" Naruto asked, scratching his head.

"This little exercise had made a little crazy." I replied, taking my precious manga.

_A little? You're out of your goddamn mind. _

_Shut up._

"By the way, Kakashi-sensei. The sequel will be done by the end of the month."


	11. The Kodoku

Naruto had collasped. He had been training all night, I had told him to come back to Tazuna's with me, but he refused. Probably told him twenty times before I was sucked into training with him. I sighed, leaning my head against the tree.

Training takes more energy out of you than you think. I was starting to drift off myself, when a… boy slash girl came into the clearing holding a basket. She/he was picking the little white flowers around the clearing, keeping an eye on Naruto.

It was a boy. I had to double check, but it's a boy. He was lacking some features… He didn't notice me. I was halfway hidden behind a tree and in the shade.

He crept closer to the blonde, watching him too intensely. Balling up my fists, I prepared to pounce on him. He hand made its way up by Naruto's neck, hanging threateningly above him. Snapping forward, I grabbed his hand, glaring at the startled boy. His warm brown eyes widened in realization.

"Don't touch him." I snarled, throwing his hand back. He observed me for a moment before he spoke.

"You're like me, aren't you? He's precious to you?" He asked, kneeling next to me gracefully. I gave him a single nod, moving between him and Naruto.

"I have someone precious like that too. You would protect him with your life?" I nodded. "If you don'y mind me asking… Why is he precious to you?" I blinked in surprise, glancing at the totally oblivious sleeping blonde.

"He saved me. I'm not gonna give _you_ the details." I hissed, making it clear I didn't appreciate his company. But I did feel like he was a kindred spirit. He was like me. Both trying to pay back an unpayable debt. I could see it.

I could see it in his eyes, and how he looked at me. He could see it too. It was like for a brief moment, we were the same person, and knew everything there was to know about each other. It was comforting and disturbing at the same time. There was a mutual respect, like between two lions.

I relaxed my tense muscles slightly, still ready to defend if he made a move. The silence hung in the air like cobwebs, with nothing but Naruto's light snoring to break it.

"What's you name?" I asked. He smiled kindly. It almost reminded me of Tsunami.

"Haku. And you?" Hesitantly, I returned his smile.

"Hitomi. This is Naruto." I replied, gently patting the blonde's shoulder. This boy was no threat. But I got the feeling that there was something he was hiding.

_Be careful, he has powerful jutsu. It would be best if we never met him in combat, so try not to piss him off._

_I imagine that would be pretty difficult. _

_Well, if he has a Naruto, I doubt it._

I exhaled, letting my shoulders sag. I was exhausted. Both of us had been out all night. Plus, using my chakra for the past few hours didn't help my condition. But I couldn't fully relax with Haku here.

"Have you been out long?" Haku asked, as if he had read my mind. I stubbornly shook my head, running my fingers through my hair. The look he gave me told me he didn't believe that one bit.

"You two are from the hidden leaf village, why are you all the way in the Land of the Wave?" I kept my mouth shut. He didn't need any more information. And I don't think Kakashi would appreciate me telling strangers why we were here.

"I haven't seen you in the village. What are _you_ doing out here?" I retorted. Just because we had an understanding doesn't mean I have to be kind. He too, kept his mouth shut. I smirked.

_What is he hiding? _

_Information. Obviously. _

"Doesn't matter. Well, it's been nice meeting you, Haku." I said curtly. It kind of reminded me of when I had first met Kakashi. We really only learned each other's names. Haku nodded, picking up his basket again.

"See ya around." I said, noting the irony. He nodded.

"Goodbye, then, Hitomi." And with that, he disappeared. I sighed, dropping the kunai I had been holding.

"Hitomi, Naruto. Where have you been?" I whipped around. It was Sasuke.

"Oh, hey." I replied with a weary smile. He rolled his eyes, helping me up.

"C'mon, dobe." Sasuke ordered, poking Naruto with his foot. I clicked my tongue, leaning down to the blonde.

"Hey, Naruto. Wake up!" I asked, shaking his arm. His blue eyes opened halfway, looked at me, and a sleepy smile crossed his face.

"Hey, Mi-chan. Where are we?" He asked, rubbing his eye. I smiled, holding a hand out to him.

"Let's head back."

/\\\\\

"Kakashi-sensei, Tazuna! We're back!" I called, kicking off my shoes and making my way to the dining room. Tsunami greeted us with plates a food, and a kind smile as always.

"Morning, thanks for making breakfast, Tsunami." I said with a bow. She shook her head and said it was her pleasure.

"Eat up. You need the energy." Tsunami said with a somewhat stern look on her face. I nodded, happily eating the amazing pancakes she made. I think after I eat, I take a short nap in the sun. Ahh, that sounds nice.

"So, did you get higher than me?" I asked Naruto. He grinned, adjusting his headband.

"Higher than you!" He boasted.

"You wanna bet? I'm always better. Remember I beat you in that sparring match?"

"No! You lost that, believe it!" Naruto protested.

"I _let _you win."

"So you admit you lost?"

"No. I never lose!" I shouted with a smirk. Naruto rolled his eyes, sticking his nose high in the air.

"You could never beat me now anyway. I'm too good."

"_What_? No way."

"Fine, you wanna go find out?!" He said, standing up from his seat. Damn, he knew I wouldn't refuse. I smiled, thinking about my future victory.

"Fine, meet me in the clearing, and I will be taking bets." I informed him, getting ready to leave. I was stopped by Tsunami.

"Let me check you injury first. Then, I'll tell you if you can fight or not." I groaned, but agreed. I couldn't refuse that at least.

"Okay, Tsunami will check my injury, _then _we'll fight."

/\\\\\

I had convinced Sakura and somehow Sasuke to join too. This would be great! I would hold onto my title as Team Seven's Champion. Sadly, I wouldn't be using my katana. I thought it would be too much for sparring. First up, was Sakura and Sasuke. Oh boy, would this be good!

"Ladies, gentlemen, and Naruto…."

"HEY!"

"Welcome to the second annual team seven tournament! I'm you're host, and main event, Hitomi Suzuki! In this corner, we have Sakura Haruno, all the way from Konoha! And in this corner, we have the always grumpy, Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke glared at me for a moment before returning his attention to Sakura. The pinkette seemed to be having an inner battle about fighting Sasuke. I smiled, tenting my fingers.

"Excellent." Kakashi chuckled, rocking slightly on his crutches.

"Bets?" I asked, holding out my hand to the two. Naruto seemed to ponder for a moment before he nodded.

"I'm gonna bet on Sakura since I hate Sasuke."

"I don't think I should be betting on my students…" I rolled my eyes, glancing at the two genin.

"I'll bet on… Sasuke. So that I win for sure."

"Hitomi!" Sakura yelled at me, putting her hands on her hips.

"Prove me wrong, Sakura, prove me wrong." I said, waving a finger at her. She huffed, getting into a fighting stance, same with Sasuke.

"Ready? Begin!" I called, waving my hand. I had it all figured out. Naruto would be taking me to Ichiruka for once!

/\\\\\

"And the winner is… Sasuke Uchiha!" I yelled, mimicking the sound a crowd would make by going 'ahhhhh!' I raised his arm, waving to an invisible audience.

Sakura smiled shyly at him, pink running across her face. I smiled at her, shrugging. I had asked her to fill in for me as announcer, but no one could possibly live up to my performance.

"In this corner, we have Naruto 'Shadow Clone' Uzumaki, believe it! And against him, is the toughest kunoichi in Konoha, and our very own announcer, Hitomi Suzuki. This should be quite the match." Sakura said in mock wonderment.

I kissed my bicep, flexing my muscles, trying to pump up the crowd. Kakashi gave me a closed eye smile, and shook his head. And I could heard Sasuke scoffing at me.

"Haha! You will never defeat me!" I said, getting ready to fight. Naruto shook his head, a grin on his tan face.

"Yeah, right. I'm gonna be the champion!" He shouted, pointing at me.

"Ready… Begin!" I rushed him, striking his jaw and immediately jumping out of range. He ran at more, lunging, trying to punch me the face. I gasped, leaning back to dodge. A breeze brushed past my face as his fist passed me.

I swept my foot under him, taking one foot out from under him. He stumbled back, giving me the opportunity to force him to the ground. He made hand signs, and said, "Shadow clone jutsu!" I tried to get away from them, but they grabbed my arms.

There were three. One of them was the real Naruto. I trashed against them, pulling against my captors. They held on tightly, while the third waited for me to stop.

I grabbed at kunai, barely, and stabbed at the two. They obviously weren't him. They poofed away, and I twirled the kunai around my ring finger.

"You've lost!" I exclaimed, throwing my kunai. Naruto barely dodged it, taking out his own kunai. I was getting pretty bored with this fight. It wasn't worth it anymore. I mean, I was still tired from not sleeping all night. I was about to fall over!

I quickly made a few hand signs, wanting this to be over soon. It was a genjutsu. Ironically to make the target fall asleep. I hadn't really practiced it yet, but I had read up on it.

Our eyes met briefly, and Naruto stumbled, rubbing his eyes. I smiled, pushing right in the center of his chest. He almost fell backwards but he caught himself.

"Go to sleep, Naru-kun. You know you want to." I cooed, trying to push him again. His eyes widened, and he jumped away. I scowled, reaching back to my pouch to get another kunai, but I was stopped.

I looked back. It was a woman I'd never seen before. She had startling familiar blue eyes, and raven hair that came to her shoulder in gossamer-like strands.

Her cheeks had faint freckles that added to her almost child-like appearance. Despite that, her eyes had a cunning, and mischievous look that betrayed the rest of her face.

She wore a dark blue skirt that came to halfway down her calf, and her right leg had fishnet to the knee. She also wore a light blue tank top. And over all of it, she had a dark blue coat that came down to the back of her knees, and was sleeveless. And of course, blue nin shoes.

"Wait for it." She whispered, eying Naruto. I glanced over at Kakashi, who was as stunned as me.

"Who ar-" Naruto started, but fell face first before he could finish. I gasped and ran over to him.

"Oh, did I do it wrong?" I asked worriedly, trying to wake him up.

"Misora, what are you doing here?" Kakashi demanded, hobbling over to the woman. She smiled brightly, dropping her black bag on the ground next to her.

"Running from people. What is a jounin like yourself doing in these parts?" Misora asked, ignoring the passed out blonde.

"I'm on a mission. And now, I have to take you back to the village. _Excellent_." Kakashi muttered. She grinned, her eyes drifting over to me and Naruto. She knelt down, putting a hand over his head, and closed her eyes for a moment.

Naruto's eyes shot open a second later. He jumped up, almost slamming into both of us. I yelped, falling back on my butt. He looked around in confusion, his eyes landing on Misora.

"Who are you?!" He exclaimed, pointing at her.

"I'm an old friend-"

"Friend?"

"-of Kakashi. I'm Misora Kodoku. Heard of me?" Sakura and Sasuke had joined us, watching the newcomer with interest. Widening my eyes, I looked over at Sakura and Kakashi, who exchanged looks.

_So they were talking about me!_

_Yes, they were. What are you, stupid? _

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked warily, sizing her up. She sweatdropped.

"So you've never heard of me?" She asked sadly, starting to pout. Sasuke slowly shook his head along with the rest of us, save for Kakashi.

"'The Siren', right? You're in my book… For a whole lot of burglaries and a few other things. What have you been doing?" Kakashi asked, glaring at her slightly.

"Burglaring, what else? A certain man, and a certain group aren't very happy with me right now." Misora told us, putting her hands on her hips.

"Are you gonna come to the village with us, or am I going to have to force you to come?" Sensei asked, rubbing his head. She shrugged.

"I don't know yet. Ya'll are here for Gato, right?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"How'd you know that?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Why else would you be here? And it was… Zabuza and that kid. I could barely get away from them…" Kakashi's glare intensified, which she ignored. Sakura looked lost, same with Naruto. I rolled my eyes, and coughed, getting everyone's attention.

"Do you want to talk about this at Tazuna's or….?" Kakashi nodded, leading the way at a very painfully slow pace.

/\\\\\

"So, what are you guys' names?" Misora asked, gracefully sitting in a chair as we arrived. I sat next to her, with Sakura on my other side.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I'm gonna be the next Hokage, believe it!" The blonde introduced proudly.

"Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you."

"Hitomi Suzuki. Hey." I said with a wave. She smiled at me, and looked at Sasuke expectantly.

"Sasuke…Uchiha." She rolled her eyes, leaning on the table.

"Well you're just a ray of sunshine aren't you?" Misora commented sarcastically.

"So what exactly _have _you been doing, after you got kicked out of your-"

"I wasn't kicked out! I ran away. Anyway… I stole stuff. For money. Like as in hire me. I did a job for gato recently, but since I wasn't going to _doom_ this village, I refused. So now his men are after me. Before that, I was travelling with… never mind. That's a story for another time."

"You mentioned a group was after you?"

"Don't worry about it. It's fine." Misora replied, leaning back. Kakashi gave her a look and she rolled her eyes.

"Look if you're still mad…"

"It was my favourite book! And _you_ stole it!"

"What proof do you have?"

"You were… reading it."

"How do you know I didn't buy a copy?" She retorted, slamming her hands down.

"It said 'property of Kakashi on the back!"

"Like that means anything!" I couldn't help but laugh. They were arguing like little kids. One of them was a jounin and the other was a criminal, and they were fighting about a _book_. They looked at me, confusion on their faces. Naruto and Sakura were laughing too. Who wouldn't? Well, I guess Sasuke, but that's beside that point.

"So anyway, these are your students? They look kinda dumb, except that one, what kinda grades you get?" Misora asked Sakura. The pinkette blinked, and thought for a moment.

"I get high scores. But not as high as Sasuke's." She replied, earning scoff from the female raven.

"I doubt it. Look at his hair. With anyone with that hair style be that smart?" She asked, patting down the raven spikes of hair. Sasuke growled and brushed her hand away.

"Don't mock Sasuke!"

"No. I'll mock him as much as I want. He is below me. Isn't that right, kid?" Misora asked, poking Sasuke in the shoulder. He grunted and turned away.

"So, Sakura, you love Sasuke. And he loves…" Her blue eyes drifted around, landing on me.

"Hitomi." She finished, a proud smile on her slightly tan face. I blushed, looking at my hands like they were the most interesting think in the world.

"No she doesn't, believe it!" Naruto objected. Misora looked up with curiosity in her eyes.

"And Hitomi loves you, and you love….?" Naruto blushed, looking at me. My blushed intensified and I tried to avoid everyone's gaze.

"Wait, what? You love-"

"Yes, I know there's a weird love triangle! Now, are you going to come to the village or not?" Thank you Kakashi! You have saved me from a horribly awkward conversation. Did this woman not care about anything?

"Would I be arrested?"

"No. And you wouldn't have to go back to-"

"Shush! I suppose I'll come back since you miss me so much… Plus, I could hide from my other 'friends.'" Misora said thoughtfully. I smiled. I liked her. Even though she made me very uncomfortable. She was straight forward and had a good sense of humor for being a burglar.

"I guess that's it. I'm coming back to the village after your mission is completed!"


	12. Guarding the Bridge

Misora Kodoku. The woman who was wanted as a murderer, thief, and traitor. She was sitting right across from me, peacefully reading. How could someone like that act totally normal?

There were many things about her that confused me. She just said whatever she thought, not caring about anyone else's opinions. I quickly learned that if you disagreed with her, you'll pay for it.

Misora was actually a peaceful person, wanting equality and was pretty creative when trying to find solutions. But, that didn't stop her from bothering Kakashi.

They had an argument, and now me and Sakura had to watch her along with Tazuna. Kakashi was just fed up with her, after one day! I rolled my eyes. It had been about seeing the Hokage. She really wanted to go back, but at the same time didn't. I wonder why she left in the first place.

"Hitomi, could you not stare at me?" Misora asked, glancing up for a moment. I looked down at my hands, thinking about what she could've possibly done that she would need to leave.

She looked at me like she knew what I was thinking but didn't say a word. Sakura had been watching her too. It seems she was quite the interesting person. It was the way she held herself, and how she talked like she owned the place. It was annoying and admirable at the same time.

"So, Tazuna. How long until the bridge is complete?" Misora asked him, closing her book. Tazuna paused for a moment.

_He's just itching for a reason to make her leave._

_I know. Does he not see she could help?_

_Guess not._

"Not long. Eagar to get back?" He asked, with a touch of tone in his voice. Kakashi had told Tazuna who she was, and what she did. Of course, he wasn't pleased, but as long as she didn't steal anything, he was fine.

"Yes. It will be… seven years since I've seen everyone. I miss them so much." Misora replied, with an arched eyebrow. She obviously wasn't going to be taking Tazuna's shit.

Sakura looked a little shocked. Seven years? Away from your family and friends? I don't think I could ever do that. I would come back by the end of the day. The question of why she left danced on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to ask, neither could Sakura. Misora pulled out a card from her pocket with an eye roll.

"This is so boring," She bit her thumb, dripping some blood on the card and placing it on the ground. "Summoning jutsu!" With a puff of smoke, a beautiful grey and white husky appeared, jumping on Misora.

She smiled, scratching behind its ear. It licked her face, wagging its tail happily. It was a huge dog, with thick fur that only made it look bigger.

"This is Kaito. I usually let him wander and summon him when he's been gone too long. I lost him yesterday, right before I found you all." She told us. The dog gave me a sniff, and looked back at Misora for reassurance. She nodded, giving him a gentle at on the head.

"Good boy." I cooed, rubbing his neck. He licked my wrist and trotted up to Sakura. She hesitantly let him sniff her hand. Kaito licked her too, his tail wagging again. Tazuna just watched, keeping on eye on the dog.

"I found him two years ago. He's the best dog anyone could ever have." The raven told us, picking a few leaves out of his coat. Kaito laid at her feet, ears pricked like he understood what we were saying. Just then, a worker came up to Tazuna, a worried look on his face.

"I've been thinking lately, Tazuna… Can… Can I quit building the bridge?" He asked, meeting Tazuna's gaze. Misora looked up, interest sparking in her eyes.

"W-why all of a sudden?! Not you too…" Tazuna objected, appearing quite angry himself.

"Tazuna, I've known you a long time. I want to help. But if I continue, Gato will come after me too." The man told him. There was a brief moment of silence between them. I was shocked.

If they finished the bridge, they would no longer be under Gato's power. But they weren't willing to risk themselves for the good of every. How selfish can you get.

"Why don't we stop building the bridge?" I gaped at him, sharing a look with Sakura. She was clearing thinking the same thing as me.

"I can't do that." I don't give Tazuna enough props. He's really courageous to continue building the bridge, even when his life is threatened. He also hired ninja, but that's beside the point.

"The people of this village need this bridge so that we can escape Gato's control."

"But if we die…"

_Please, you could die right now, wait…_

_Riyu, you could die anywhere…_

_That's what I'm saying, but… never mind._

"It's already lunch time. Let's take a break." Tazuna interrupted, walking past the man. I almost wanted to applaud him. This old man might be sour, and a drunk, but he's doing what's best for his people. Misora smiled at him as he passed, telling him he did the right thing.

"They need this bridge. Gato will stop at nothing to stop it's progress." She muttered, stroking Kaito.

"Tazuna!" The man yelled, facing the man. Tazuna turned slightly, almost looking sad.

"Giichi, you don't have to come anymore." He told him, walking away for his break. I bit my lip, rubbing the cloth of my sleeve between my fingers.

_This is going to take longer than we thought._

_I know. Maybe I should help myself instead of just watching. _

_Yeah, let me out to so I can help. Not that I want to or anything. I just wanna go home to Tamariba…_

_Me too. _

I made a clone, standing up. Sakura looked at me in shock, jumping a little at my sudden movement. Riyu appeared, but she didn't transform into herself. She knew I needed to conserve my chakra after yesterday.

"Okay, Tazuna. You've got two more workers! Where do you want us?"

/\\\\\

I dragged myself home, with the help of Misora. Riyu had gone back and was probably resting. I had helped for hours, lifting things and assisting Tazuna with whatever he needed us to do. Thank god I had left my katana, that would've been hard to do. Juggling tools and my weapons? No thanks.

When we arrived, Naruto and Sasuke we still gone. I was slightly worried. What if they were both passed out in a ditch somewhere? What if Zabuza got them? Or some other homicidal maniac?

The sun was setting, there was still time for them to come back. If they were gone longer, I would have to go looking for them.

Tazuna and Sakura had gone out too, apparently to get ingredients for dinner. Kakashi was reading at the table, another one of his books again. Misora slide into the seat next to him, pulling out her own book. And it just so happened, to have 'property of Kakashi' on it.

But since the silver haired ninja was ignoring her, he didn't notice.

_How long do you think it'll take?_

I rested my head on my folded arms, watching the two. They were almost like little kids. Kaito leaned against my leg, whining to be pet. I smiled at him, dangling an arm to touch his shoulder. Kakashi looked up at the sudden noise.

"What is that?"

"What?"

"The dog."

"Oh, that's Kaito. He's my husky." Kakashi looked at her boredly.

"You can't just bring your dogs into other people's homes." He scolded, glancing at the dog. Kaito had his ears back, and his tail between his legs. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen. And to add to that, he was whimpering.

"Tsunami?" Misora called, sounding pouty. The raven woman appeared, a questioning look on her face.

"Can Kaito stay here?" She asked, Kaito revealing himself. He still looked like a sad puppy, even though he was a fully grown husky. Tsunami looked at him, her eyes lighting up as she kneeled down to level with him.

"Of course! I love dogs. In fact… Inari! Come here!" She called to her son. The boy appeared to next to her, his eyes landing on the dog. Kaito barked, hopping up to the boy he was clearly taller than.

Kaito jumped around him excitedly, but he was careful not to harm the boy. Inari laughed, patting the dog happily.

"What's his name?" Inari asked, looking up at Misora.

"His name's Kaito." She told him with a gentle smile. Inari hugged the dog, burying his face in his soft fur. I watched those two play for a while, smiling at them. I really had nothing to do on my own. It was nice to see Inari acting like a kid for once. It was much better then seeing him cry.

Misora was watching Kakashi, clearly agitated. She sighed angrily, opening her book, but not moving her gaze. Kakashi met her eyes, then looked down at the book.

"_Finally._" She grumbled, closing it. Kakashi quickly grabbed the book, flipping through the pages to check for any damage. For here, it looked to be in perfect condition.

"Thank you so much!" He damn near squealed, hugging her tightly. She gasped, slapping at his arms and trying to get away.

"Can't breathe!" She huffed, pushing him away. He gave her a closed eye smile, but went back to his serious look.

"You still have to see the Hokage."

"Damn it."

/\\\\\

Everyone returned a little while after, ready to eat. Sasuke and Naruto looked exhausted. I had talked to Sakura when she came back. She told me about what it was like in the city. People begging for work, children in the streets, and barely anything in the stores. All of this because of one man. It makes me sick.

She even told me about the man that was trying to touch her. And how she kicked him in the face. I looked down. That could be Inari. If he didn't have his mother and grandfather, he'd be just like those kids.

Sasuke and Naruto still hadn't made it all the way up the tree, but they were getting close. I wanted to help them, but I thought it best if they figured it out on their own. That and I don't know how to explain it.

"This is fun! It's been a while since we've had so many people over." Tazuna said, interrupting the eating contest happening between Naruto and Sasuke. They stood up at the same time, asking for more food, only to (a few seconds later) throw up. Misora pointed a finger at them and laughed, and I pat Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey, calm down." I told him, mentally calling him an idiot.

"Don't eat if you're gonna throw it back up, idiots!" Sakura yelled, standing up herself. I rolled my eyes, but someone needed to tell them.

"No, I need to eat to get better, so I can go train." Naruto muttered, gritting his teeth. Kakashi nodded, with his arms folded across his chest and Misora next to him, mimicking his movements.

"Yes, but throwing up isn't good." I finished my food, and took my bowl to the kitchen. Kaito followed at my heels, waiting for me to drop something on accident. I subtlety slipped him a crust as I put my bowl in the sink.

We all settled down for tea afterwards, all the yelling had quieted down. Inari was petting Kaito, and I noticed Sakura was looking at a picture. It had someone torn out. I recognized it as the picture that Inari had been crying over when I went to talk to him.

"Who was torn out of this?" Sakura sked, turning to Tsunami, who was washing dishes. All three of our hosts seemed to tense immediately, looking at the pinkette. I flinched at the sudden change in attitude.

"It was my husband." Tsunami said softly, resuming her washing. Tazuna looked down, a sad look overcoming his face.

"He was known as the hero of this town." Inari got up slowly, Kaito getting up as well. They both walked out of the room, ignoring Tsunami's attempts of stopping them.

"Father! I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" She scolded, and followed her son out the door. I frowned, sharing a look with Kakashi. Even with all the blessings they've had with Gato here, they still had their own troubles.

Tazuna told us the story, of how Inari's father had been killed trying to help these people, and doing so many times before. He was killed by Gato, the tormentor and bully of the Land of the Wave. I wish I could get my hands around his neck. He'll be done as soon as he sees me.

Misora glared at the table, clenching and unclenching her fists. She stood up abruptly, whistling softly. Kaito run back to her, fur bristling.

"I'm going out. If I'm not back by midnight… Never mind, I'll be back." She muttered, brushing off her clothes. She grabbed her cloak, putting it on. As she did that, she turned and smiled at us.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked her, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry about it. I'm taking Kaito for a walk." And with that, she whisked out the door, her wolf-like dog chasing her. Kakashi shook his head, resting his elbows on the table.

"She never could sit still." I raised an eye brow.

"What does that mean?" I asked. He shook his head, getting up, and going to his room. Naruto had his head down and was staring into space thoughtfully, his eyebrows drawn down.

Suddenly, he got up, and tripped over his own feet as soon as he started walking. I helped him up, clicking my tongue.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" I asked him, a stern look on my face.

"If you're trying to train, don't. You've spent too much chakra today. If you move any more, you're going to die." I gave Kakashi a sharp look, getting Naruto off the ground.

"I'm going to prove to him…" The blonde started, hoisting himself up and refusing my help. I sighed, crossing my arms.

"Prove what?" Sakura asked, a slightly mean expression on her face.

"That there are heroes in this world! I'm going to prove it to him!" He exclaimed, standing up on shaky legs. I resisted the urge to hold him up, gritting my teeth. I nodded. He'd made his choice.

/\\\\\

I woke up the next morning, sore and still tired. It was a bad decision trying to lift those things by myself. I went down to the living room with Sakura, after I had fixed my unruly hair.

"Good morning." We said simultaneously, Sakura rubbing her eye. We settled in for breakfast, Misora and Naruto missing.

I frowned. I had been hoping that Naruto didn't go out after I went to bed. I should've known better. I'm probably gonna have to go look for him.

I thanked Tsunami for the food. She smiled and went back to what she had been doing. I ate, watching the others. No one seemed to be in the talking mood today.

"Neither of them came back?" Tazuna asked.

"Naruto's probably still climbing trees. He might be dead from using his chakra too much." Sakura told him flippantly. I glared at her before regaining my composure.

_It was a joke, calm down. I'm sure he's fine. He's strong enough to protect himself. _

_No, he's not. He could barely stand yesterday. _

"Maybe that idiot is dead," Sasuke wondered aloud, getting up a moment later. He went to the door, hands in his pockets as usual. "I'm going for a walk."

"What about Misora and Kaito?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking at Kakashi. He shrugged.

"She's like a magnet for trouble. But… with her skill set, she should be back soon. Don't worry, Hitomi. I've known that woman for years, nothing can get rid of her." He reassured me. I nodded, content with that answer.

Just then, the door slammed open, revealing a disheveled Misora and Kaito. Both had leaves on them, and singe marks. And there were a few wounds here and there but nothing too serious.

"You will not believe what I did!" She said excitedly, a smile stretched across her face. Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Welcome back. How was your walk?"

"What the hell are you talking about? O-oh, right… the 'walk'." She muttered, brushing a leaf out of her hair.

"Well, this in what _really_ happened. I when to Gato's hideout. You wanna know what for? Food, and clothes, and everything the people of this village need. But, it was pretty well guarded, so I had to whip out the jutsu.

So then, the sent in more guards, but no one can beat The Siren and her loyal dog Kaito! So, I kicked their butts, and stole medicine and food, which were my priorities at the time. That's not the crazy part! I tried to use my paper bombs, but they blew up in my face, and destroyed all the supplies I had collected, so I had to ditch the whole thing!

I also took out some guards like that thought, which was nice. So… Here I am. And Gato wants to kill me more than ever." Misora said in all one breathe. She gasped, holding her chest and breathing deeply.

"But Zabuza _is_ alive. We know that." I gaped at her.

_Is she completely out of her mind?!_

_I think she is. I guess having no one to tell you something's stupid makes you a little reckless. _

She looked around, noticing we were short a few genin. She looked at Kakashi, opening her mouth to ask, but he shook his head.

"Inari, you can have Kaito for a little while. I need you to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, alright?" The boy nodded, and Kaito wagged his tail, following Inari out the door. Tsunami looked after them worriedly.

"Don't worry, Tsunami, Kaito is the best guard dog you could ask for." Misora told her soothingly. The other raven nodded contently, going back to her chores.

"I guess we should go look for the other two, yeah?" She asked. Kakashi nodded, grabbing his crutch.

"Alright, let's go."

/\\\\\

"What could Naruto be doing?" I wondered, leaning against a tree tiredly. Sakura shrugged.

"Sasuke hasn't come back from his walk either…" She said worriedly. I rolled my eyes at her. Misora had stayed behind to take a shower, and then clean Kaito. They were both a mess. Plus, Kakashi though it would be a bad idea for her to go out again so soon.

Then, out of nowhere, a kunai landed in front of us. It had come from the trees. I looked up to see Naruto laying on a branch smiling down at us.

"Good work, Naruto!" I cheered, cupping my hands around my mouth.

"No way, he can climb all the way up there?" The pinkette whispered disbelievingly. Kakashi simpley looked up at him, but you could see his was proud. I sure as hell was.

_That's amazing! He's almost as high as me!_

_That's not true. He climbed higher then you, see? _

Riyu pointed out the marks on my tree were just below his. I gaped, but it soon became a smile. He was going to be a power ninja, I can see it now.

Naruto slipped as soon as he stood up, his eyes wide. Mine widened as well, and I ran forward to catch him.

"Naruto!" I yelled, angry and scared. He caught himself mid-fall, standing on the underside of the branch.

"I wasn't gonna fall, Mi-chan, believe it!" He taunted, pointing at us. I glared at him, trying to slow down my heart rate. Damn him, and damn his pranks!

"Looks like he's gotten better." Kakashi mumbled, half to himself. Naruto laughed loudly, pride etched on his face. I cracked a smiled, giving him a thumbs up. He returned it, but came unstuck from the tree. I gasped, launching myself forward again.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura yelled at him.

"Idiot." Thank god! Sasuke had run up just in time to catch him. He held him by his ankle, both of them still upside down.

"Wait, you can get here in time to catch him, but not me?!" I yelled at him, hands on my hips. Sasuke smirked at me.

"I knew there was a bush there."

"That's no excuse!" I retorted.

"Way to go, Sasuke!" Sakura squealed, smiling up at the boy. I turned away. They were both getting better than me. I need to do some training, and quick.

/\\\\\

When we got back, Kaito and Misora were clean and leaf-free. But Inari was nowhere to be found. Sasuke and Naruto were out again, training their butts off. I had told them again it was a bad idea, but did either of them listen? _No_, what does _Hitomi_ know? Tch, boys.

This time, the san had been down for hours, and they still hadn't come back. I was actually started to get worried. But what do they do that doesn't worry me?

"They're late again." Sakura pouted, no doubt missing Sasuke's oh so charming company. I nodded absentmindedly, staring at my plate. I needed to be training, but I also needed to protect Tazuna, that was my job after all. Misora sensed something was off, watching me out of the corner of my eye.

"You know, I was very impressed when I saw you fighting. That genjutsu isn't very common, right, Kaka-kun?" She questioning, a meaningful look in her eye.

"Hm? Oh, right. I've been meaning to talk to you about it. Where did you learn it?" Sensei asked, resting his chopsticks next to his plate.

"I read about it. I was interested in genjutsu at the time."

"Well, luck for you, I specialize in genjutsu. I could teach you some if you like. Is that alright Kakashi?" Misora asked the silver haired man. He was silent for a moment, watching her carefully. It was like they were having a silent argument with just their eyes.

"I don't see a problem with it. Take Sakura with you too. She could use some practice." The raven smiled at him.

"Alright. I'll teach them as soon as we return to Konoha." I exchanged smiles with Sakura, and thanked the woman. As soon as we finished thanking her, Naruto and Sasuke returned.

Naruto was leaning heavily on Sasuke, who wasn't looking too good himself. They looked like they just came out of a battle!

"Naruto! Sasuke!" I gasped, running over to them, and taking Naruto's other arm.

"We made it all the way to the top, Hitomi." The blonde said, a smirk on his face. My eyes widened, and finally, I smiled. But it felt some what strained. Misora could see it, but she was silent, sipping her tea instead. Kakashi nodded once, and said, "Good work."

I think they deserve a little more than just good work, but whatever.

"You two can help guard Tazuna then. So eat up and get some rest." Kakashi added. Naruto tried to cheer, but ended up knocking all three of us over. I laughed, getting up and holding out a hand to each of them.

"Good work, you two." I said, helping them up. Misora nodded, holding up her glass.

"Good work, you little idiots!" She said, slamming her cup into Kakashi's.

"Here, here!" She added, chugging the tea in on gulp.

Over dinner, Tazuna told us the bridge was almost complete. I was happy to hear that, but also, a little sad. I would miss them. Especially Inari. He needed good people in his life, more than there were in just this house. Maybe the bridge would encourage them to be nicer.

"Why… Why are you all trying so hard to end up dead?!" Inari blurted, sitting up. I looked at him in shock. Everyone looked at him, watching his little show.

"You can't beat Gato, no one can!" He yelled, glaring at us. I was a little taken aback. Doesn't he know what we've accomplished?

_Tell him to shut up. No one should insult us! _

_No, I don't want him to cry again._

_He's already crying! He's a coward!_

_RIYU. SHUT UP._

"Well, I already beat his men, so…" Kakashi silenced Misora with a look.

"No matter how hard you try, you'll lose! The weak will always lose." Inari shouted, wiping away a few tears. His seemed to strike a chord with Misora, but she bit her lip and kept quiet. It was like something was holding her back.

"Shut up. I'm better than that." Naruto grumbled, resting his head on his crossed arms.

"Shut up! It pisses me off when I watch you! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're getting involved! I'm better than that from someone who laughs all the time and doesn't know what pain is!" I growled, deeply, in the back of my throat.

If anybody new about pain, it was Naruto. The blonde was hiding his blue eyes, trying not to look at Inari. I knew what he was thinking. That Inari didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

"You're just playing the victim, crying about it like a little kid. You're just a coward!" Naruto barked, looking up at the boy. I froze.

I knew how deeply that hurt. I never wanted to be called a coward again. I decided that a long time ago. Coward is the ultimate insult. It can never be taken back to me.

"Naruto, you went too far!" Sakura scolded, glaring at him. But his kept his eyes locked on Inari. Misora hid her eyes behind her bangs, and Kaito was frozen too. She knew something. She knew more than she was letting one.

Naruto got up, and simply walked away, hands in his pockets. I looked down at my hands, feeling Sakura and Sasuke's stare on me.

"Excuse me." I muttered, leaving the room, but not following Naruto.

The outside air was freeze, and the breeze blew my hair out of my face. The moonlight reflected off the water, and strings of clouds barely covering any stars. I heard soft footsteps and clicking of nails behind me. I sighed, turning slightly to face them.

"Hitomi, are you alright?" It was Misora. Kaito came up beside me, nuzzling my hand. I smiled at him, scratching his ear. He leaned into my touch, wagging his tail.

"Yes. I'm just not a fan of… that word." I whispered, sitting down and letting my feet hang over the edge. She nodded, sitting neck to me. Kaito curled up next to us, his head in my lap.

"I understand, but don't hold it against him. It's obvious he means a lot to you. Something like this won't affect how you see him, will it?" I shook my head.

"And Inari needed to hear it. I was debating saying it myself," Misora said with a dry chuckle. "But he does have a good reason. For being afraid I mean. It just means he care about you guys, and that he doesn't want you to end up dead." Kaito nuzzled me again, a wolf-like smile across his face.

"I understand. Thank you. I can't believe you're a criminal… I-I mean no… I'm sorry i-it's just-"

"it's okay, kid. I don't believe it either sometimes."

**Thank you guys so much for the feedback! And in thanks I'm posting a chapter that's even longer. What could Misora be hiding? Who knows…. ;) ~Kyoko-Chan**


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